After abandoning his wife and children, Bo Xilai coaxed and begged her to reconcile.

This was the first time in Bo Sinian's life that he felt out of place.

Compared to Zhuge Yu, he was practically an outsider.

"The slippers are in the cabinet to your right, get them yourself," Song Jin said, turning around to him.

Bo Sinian hummed in agreement, casually opened the shoe cabinet beside him, and immediately saw three pairs of clownfish slippers inside: one large pair, clearly a men's; one women's; and a small pair, obviously for a child like Bo Yi. The three pairs of slippers were neatly arranged, like a family of three, perfectly arranged.

These three pairs of slippers must be matching pairs worn by Song Jinye and Shen Yanzhi, father and son.

My chest felt like it was blocked by something, suffocating and heavy.

At this moment, he seemed to have truly witnessed Song Jinye's complete life, and he was like an outsider peeking through a window.

For some reason, he instinctively picked up the men's clownfish slippers.

Sure enough, Song Jin spoke up to stop him the next second.

"Don't wear these slippers. There are other styles in the shoe cabinet. Feel free to take any of the others."

Jealousy, like fine vines, has once again crept up silently.

Even Shen Yanzhi's slippers, Song Jin had to protect them like this?

In the end, Bo Sinian grabbed a pair of very common shoes and put them on.

"President Bo, what are you standing there for? Come and sit down. Let's finish eating so we can get down to business." Zhuge Yu said, holding a bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other.

There was no argument, not a single sharp word exchanged, yet the silent distance Zhuge Yu created made him far more embarrassed than the confrontation at the door earlier.

Bo Sinian suppressed all his emotions beneath a calm exterior, revealing not a trace of them.

He still carried his innate air of nobility as he walked into the restaurant and had breakfast with them.

"I just made something simple, please make yourselves at home." Song Jin said this not as a formality, but because she really wasn't in the mood to make a lavish breakfast in the current situation.

Therefore, what they ate was just plain porridge with salted duck eggs and pickled cucumbers.

Bo Sinian was somewhat surprised.

"What? Mr. Bo doesn't like this kind of breakfast?" Zhuge Yu said jokingly as he ate with relish, chewing the pickled cucumber with a crunchy texture. He glanced at Bo Sinian.

Bo Sinian had indeed never eaten such a "simple" breakfast before.

But he thought that the breakfast that Zhuge Yu longed for must be either not lavish or extremely special.

"How could that be?" Bo Sinian smiled awkwardly but politely, then picked up his rice bowl.

He took a sip of plain congee and a bite of pickled cucumber, and the crisp, refreshing texture was a delightful surprise. Savory and flavorful, the tender texture filled his mouth with aroma; salty, fresh, crisp, sweet, and delicate flavors unfolded layer by layer, sweeping away the blandness of the morning. This unexpected delicacy was so amazing it was unbelievable.

Bo Sinian ate bite after bite without realizing it.

"President Bo certainly knows his stuff. Only Aunt Zeng could make this pickled cucumber taste this good. Many Chinese and overseas Chinese in the area come to Aunt Zeng to ask for her secret recipe."

Bo Sinian glanced at Song Jinye subconsciously: "Why haven't I ever eaten a bite of this food, even though I've been Mom's son-in-law for three years?"

Song Jin rolled her eyes at him. "My mom was already abroad at that time. Asking her to send pickles from abroad to China? Isn't that going against the natural order?"

"Also, that's my mom," Song Jin corrected him firmly.

Zhuge Yu was completely absorbed in the delicious food Zeng Ling had prepared. "Aunt Zeng's cooking skills are truly amazing. I remember when I was little, I would often take my bowl to your house to eat at mealtimes. I always felt that your food was more fragrant than ours."

Song Jin couldn't help but chuckle: "How could I not remember? When Uncle Zhuge wouldn't let you come, you clung to our front door, wailing and crying, saying Uncle Zhuge wouldn't let you eat. Anyone who didn't know better would think Uncle Zhuge was going to starve you to death, you unfilial son."

"Later, Uncle Zhuge couldn't care less about anything else and even secretly slipped money to my parents for food."

Zhuge Yu shook his head helplessly. "It's really not my fault. It's mainly because my mom never lifts a finger when it comes to cooking, and my dad's cooking is just awful. Once I brought home a steamed bun made by Aunt Zeng, and my mom ate it all. Do you know what she said after she finished eating it? She asked me: 'Is there any more?'"

Song Jin couldn't stop laughing. "I remember that time. Not long after you got home, you came running back to my house to ask if there were any more steamed buns, because you were hungry again. Later, I think my mom packed all the remaining steamed buns into a bag and took them home for you."

Zhuge Yu: "That was the time. My mom ate five in one go, and then she said to my dad: 'Old Zhu, why don't you pay my food expenses too?'"

Song Jin also chuckled, her eyebrows curving into a gentle arc, and a deep dimple spreading across her lips. The heavy seriousness on her face before was washed away by seventy percent of this moment with a smile.

She and Zhuge Yu chatted back and forth, reminiscing about fragmented old stories. Their conversation was filled with questions and answers, laughter, and great enjoyment.

Bo Sinian sat to the side, listening quietly to their conversation.

Even though we were sitting at the same table, it was as if there was an invisible barrier between us, and we couldn't even get a word in edgewise.

Only then did he realize that Zhuge Yu was Song Jinye's childhood friend, and he had never heard her mention her before.

However, it must be admitted that Zhuge Yu's subtle and gentle way of communicating did indeed relieve Song Jinye's heart pressure, allowing her to temporarily forget those lingering troubles.

Ever since their chance encounter on the plane yesterday, Bo Sinian had noticed that the gloomy look on her face hadn't dissipated, and her brows were heavy with melancholy, as oppressive as an approaching storm. But now, all that tension had vanished, and she relaxed completely.

After breakfast, Song Jin wanted to tidy up, but Zhuge Yu grabbed her hand and said, "You stay seated, I'll tidy up."

Bo Sinian: "..." This scene seems a bit familiar.

He was puzzled as to why Shen Yanzhi could allow Zhuge Yu to exist. This kind of childhood friend is dangerous, okay?

"How about I come? It would be too embarrassing to just come and freeload a meal." Bo Sinian stood up and gave himself a chance.

But Zhuge Yu thwarted the opportunity, saying, "President Bo, this is your first time here, how can I let you do it?"

Song Jin blinked her bright eyes at them. She actually hated washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen.

I never expected that people would be vying to do this kind of work.

Since you all want to take it, then I won't compete with you; I'll just be humble and yield.

"Why haven't I heard you mention this childhood friend before?" Bo Sinian asked casually.

"Not long after my mom and I moved to Nancheng, Zhuge immigrated with his parents, and we lost contact until I came to Country A and ran into him by chance."

Bo Si smiled slightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. His tone was flat, with a slight drawl at the end, carrying a barely perceptible hint of sarcasm: "Oh, it's been a long time."