Spring Night Kiss.

The next morning, when Song Qingjia woke up, Zhou Yunqing was already up.

She threw back the covers and got out of bed, opening the bedroom door, only to find the entire house quiet; Zhou Yunqing was not there. The study door was open, but Xu Zhouye was nowhere to be seen.

It was still raining outside the window, but the wind had subsided considerably, and the leaves occasionally rustled in the breeze.

She stood in the living room for a while before turning around and going to the bathroom to wash up.

Just as she finished brushing her teeth, she heard voices outside the door, followed by the door being pushed open. Zhou Yunqing walked in, followed by Xu Zhouye, carrying several bulging plastic bags.

Song Qingjia poked her head out of the bathroom and noticed a dark stain on his shoulder that had been wet by the rain.

Where did you go?

Zhou Yunqing said with a smile, "I went to the market to buy some vegetables, and Xiao Xu insisted on coming along because she was worried about me."

Despite saying that, her tone sounded quite cheerful. She had lived alone for many years, and it was rare for a younger person to be willing to keep her company, so she was very happy.

Xu Zhouye walked in carrying a bag, and as he passed Song Qingjia, he reached out and ruffled her hair.

"Just got up?"

Song Qingjia turned her head away and said, "Mm."

Xu Zhouye then pinched her cheek: "Little lazy pig."

Song Qingjia: "?"

How dare this little dog talk nonsense about its owner! It's outrageous!

"Xu Zhouye, how childish are you?" She slapped his hand away and rubbed her cheek.

"Not childish at all." He chuckled. "Go wash your face, I'll make you braised yellow croaker."

Zhou Yunqing chimed in, "The fishmonger at the market said the yellow croakers that arrived today are really fresh. You should definitely try them later."

Song Qingjia responded.

Watching Xu Zhouye carry the bag into the kitchen, she went back to the bathroom to wash her face.

When she finished washing up and changing her clothes, and was about to go to the kitchen to help, she was surprised to find that the person inside was Xu Zhouye.

Zhou Yunqing was sitting in a wicker chair in the living room, leisurely sipping tea. Hearing the noise, she turned her head, smiled, and beckoned, "Qingjia, come and have some tea."

Song Qingjia walked over and sat down next to her.

Zhou Yunqing handed her the teacup: "These are tea leaves sent by your son, Xiao Xu."

Song Qingjia took a sip; the tea soup was fresh and invigorating, with a delicate and lingering orchid fragrance, making it a high-quality pre-Qingming Longjing tea.

She liked the taste and took another sip.

Zhou Yunqing smiled and joked, "Xiao Xu specifically told us not to disturb him in the kitchen before he went in."

Song Qingjia glanced towards the kitchen, not entirely trusting him: "Can he handle it?"

"You sound quite confident, so it should be fine," Zhou Yunqing said.

Upon hearing this, Song Qingjia suppressed her worries.

The two hadn't seen each other for a long time, and it was a rare treat for them to sit down and have a leisurely chat over tea.

Zhou Yunqing didn't mention Cheng Yizhen again, nor did she say anything about hoping the mother and daughter could reconcile. They just talked about their childhood, their present, and their future.

The atmosphere was warm and harmonious, but one of the girls kept glancing towards the kitchen.

Once or twice, I glanced at it, then looked away as if nothing had happened.

Zhou Yunqing took in those gazes, her smile deepening, and picked up her teacup to take a sip.

A few seconds later, when the other person looked over again, she couldn't help but speak up: "Alright, if you're so worried, go check it out."

Song Qingjia blushed when she was caught red-handed.

"I've looked towards the kitchen three or four times already," Zhou Yunqing joked. "Why don't we go see how Chef Xu's cooking is going?"

Song Qingjia paused for a moment, then put down her teacup: "I'm not worried."

"No, it's not that. I just wanted to go and see. Could you go and check for me?" Zhou Yunqing nodded with a smile.

"...Then I'll go take a look."

She got up and walked towards the kitchen.

The kitchen glass door wasn't closed tightly; when it was pushed open, hot air rushed out first, carrying the aroma of oil, ginger, and scallions.

Xu Zhouye was standing in front of the stove, his back to the door, holding a spatula in his hand, the flames on the stove licking the bottom of the pot.

"It'll be ready soon," he said without turning his head. "You can go out and rest."

no respond.

He turned his head, saw it was Song Qingjia, and a smile curved his lips: "How did you get in?"

Song Qingjia walked over, stood next to him, and glanced down at the ginger slices and scallion segments arranged on the stove, as well as a small dish of prepared sauce.

"Come and see Chef Xu's culinary skills," she said, "so that no one will blow up the kitchen."

Xu Zhouye chuckled: "Then you'll be disappointed."

He flipped the fish in the pan over, and the oil sizzled as the skin slowly turned golden brown.

He put down the spatula, glanced at her sideways, and said, "Step back a little, you're about to add the scallions and ginger, or the oil will splatter."

Song Qingjia did as he was told and stepped back, watching his practiced movements.

How come this person seems to be good at everything?

"You didn't go somewhere for further studies, did you?"

Xu Zhouye replied lazily, "Yeah, I was bored in Monaco, so I went to a friend's house and learned a few tricks from his chef."

With two consecutive back-to-back races, plus the team sponsor's promotional activities, it would be a blessing to have two days of rest. How could anyone be bored?

It's likely that she specifically set aside time to learn how to cook.

Song Qingjia raised an eyebrow: "Didn't the chef complain about your clumsiness?"

"He said I'm very talented," Xu Zhouye snorted, trying to prove himself.

Both of them knew in their hearts that learning to cook these simple home-style dishes had nothing to do with talent; it was just a matter of being willing to put in the effort.

"Besides, there's a saying that goes..." He paused deliberately.

Song Qingjia listened attentively, ready to hear what nonsense he was spouting.

"The way to a woman's heart is through her stomach," Xu Zhouye said calmly.

Song Qingjia: "And then?"

"And then... our precious baby is so delicate, if we don't take good care of her stomach, I'm afraid she'll be kidnapped by someone else."

Song Qingjia couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly: "I hope your cooking skills are as good as your ability to talk nonsense."

As it turns out, Xu Zhouye's cooking skills are indeed excellent.

A braised yellow croaker, its color a vibrant red, the sauce perfectly reduced, the fish tender and smooth. A plate of water spinach with minced garlic, crisp and refreshing. And a bowl of winter melon and pork rib soup, the broth clear and bright, the ribs stewed until tender, the winter melon almost dissolved into the soup.

Zhou Yunqing praised repeatedly, "This child's cooking skills are really good; the taste is even better than restaurants outside."

Xu Zhouye modestly replied, "It's nothing special."

However, the corners of her mouth were already starting to swell.

"Our Qingjia family is in for a treat from now on," Zhou Yunqing sighed.

"I'll cook for her every day as long as she likes it." The person was so flattered that she was practically strutting around.

Song Qingjia couldn't bear to watch and lowered her head to eat.

But Xu Zhouye wouldn't let her off easily; he had to hear a word of praise from her.

"Our baby isn't saying anything, looks like they're unhappy?"

Song Qingjia looked up at him, her lips curving into a smile, as if coaxing a child: "Satisfied, very satisfied."