Shao Wenbai didn’t say anything. To him, food was just a means to replenish energy—taste didn’t matter. “All done.”

  Su Yumian gnced over. The ly arranged red peppers and bok choy were lined up perfectly, showing clear signs of an obsessive-pulsive hand at work. She chuckled lightly.

  “What’s so funny?” Shao Wenbai asked, fused.

  Su Yumian cleared her throat. “Nothing. You leave now.”

  “Alright.” Shao Wenbai dried his hands and nodded slightly.

  Su Yumian cooked a whole table of dishes, all lightly fvored and carefully chosen to suit Professor Ouyang Wenqiu’s taste and dietary needs.

  “You still remember…” The elderly woman sighed with emotion.

  After the meal, Su Yumian took the initiative to up the dishes. Shao Wenbai followed her into the kit to help. Standing uhe warm yellow light, his silhouette stretched long. From Su Yumian’s angle, his finely sculpted side profile resembled an a Greek marble statue—sharp and well-defined.

  Ouyang Wenqiu leaned against the doorway. “Mianmian, how did you and your senior brother meet?”

  Shao Wenbai was her proudest disciple, and Su Yumian was her favorite student. She had wao introduce them to each other long ago. Uedly, fate had already brought them together. Just then, a voice called from outside—

  “Professor Ouyang, you have a visitor!”

  Ouyang Wenqiu turned and walked into the living room, where a young woman stood up from the sofa with a bright smile.

  “Professor, hello! I’m Jiang Qiting. I visited you at the hospital before and asked about this year’s graduate admissions.”

  Ouyang Wenqiu nodded. “Yes, I remember. Have a seat.”

  Jiang Qiting’s smile brightened. “I heard you’ve been rec at home, so I brought you some supplements…”

  Ouyang Wenqiu g the tea table where expensive gift boxes sat—ginseng, bird’s , cordyceps… Her smile faded slightly.

  Jiang Qiting tinued, “I mentiohe graduate program st time—”

  Ouyang Wenqiu cut her off. “Thank you, I appreciate the thought, but you should take these back. As for admissions, I recruit students every year, and petition is fierce. Whether you get in or not depends on your ability.”

  Jiang Qiting was stunned.

  Last time in the hospital, the professor had said things like “there’s a ce,” “you try,” and “keep w hard.” So why…

  “Professor, I…”

  “Miss Jiang, I’m sorry, but I have uests. I won’t keep you. I’ll have Xiao Wang help carry your things to your car.”

  The dismissal was obvious.

  Jiang Qiting didn’t uand what went wrong. Dazed, she actally bumped into someone on her way out. “Su Yumian?” She blurted out in surprise. “You… what are you doing here?”

  Su Yumian was dressed simply in a white T-shirt and an unfashionable floral apron, holding a bck trash bag in her hand.

  “What a ce,” Su Yumian said, equally surprised, but quickly smiling as she greeted her.

  She didn’t dislike Jiang Qiting. Although she had a spoiled, rich-girl arrogance, she wasn’t ht obnoxious and still knew basiners. That said, they were never close—certainly nothing like her retionship with Shao Yuwei.

  “You…” Jiang Qiting eyed her up and down. “Why are you w as a housemaid?”

  Su Yumian: “?”

  “My brother didn’t give you any money?”

  “??”

  “Oh my god! That’s so trashy! I ’t take this—” She stomped off in her high heels, pulling out her phone.

  She wasly standing up for Su Yumian. If she wao be a simp, that was her problem. But her brother ag this stingy? That was just embarrassing.

  Like going to a fancy restaurant and not tipping the waiter.

  Jiang Qiti utterly humiliated.

  “Hey—bro! I ’t stay quiet anymore…”

  The call ected, and just as she was about to go off—

  “I’m busy. No time for your nonsense.”

  “What? Who’s causing nonsehe one being unreasonable is you! Since when did you bee so cheap? Don’t you know stingy men are as disgusting as rats?”

  “Go rant at someone else.”

  Jiang Qiting didn’t care. “Su Yumian is literally cooking, ing, and taking care of you, and you won’t even give her a t? She has to work as a housemaid to make ends meet? If people find out, don’t you care about your reputation?”

  Silehen, a low voice— “…Who did you say?”

  “Su Yumian.”

  “Housemaid… what do you mean?”

  Jiang Qiting reted everything she saw. “You really went too far this time. Even a simp is still a person. You shouldn’t mistreat animals…”

  Jiang Qitialking, but Jiang Yihuai wasn’t listening. The only words ringing in his ears were—

  Su Yumian, housemaid, making money…

  So, she cashed the 50 million check but didn’t dare to use it. He loosened his tie, his gaze dark and unreadable.

  Heh. She left so decisively—I thought she had some bae. But in the end…

  Without him, she couldn’t even survive.

  “Ah Huai, what are you spag out for? It’s your turn.” Shen Shiyan nudged him, pointing at the dice cup in his hand.

  “I’m out.” Jiang Yihuai grabbed his jacket and car keys, ready to leave.

  “What? You were the one who wao hang out!”

  Jiang Yihuai: “Not anymore. I’ve got something to do.”

  She’ll beg me to take her back soon enough.

  —

  Sitting in his car, Jiang Yihuai waited and waited. Aside from two work calls and a flood of messages, he didn’t get the call he was expeg. Annoyed, he started the engine and drove straight to Shao Yuwei’s apartment.

  Su Yumian had no family iy. Every time they fought, she ran to Shao Yuwei’s pce. He’d picked her up from there more times than he could t. He didn’t even need GPS to find the way.

  “Jiang Yihuai?”

  As soon as he got out of the car, a voice called him. He turo see Shao Yuwei, arm-in-arm with a young guy, obviously heading home.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked warily.

  “Where’s Su Yumian?”

  “What do you want?”

  “I asked, where is she?” His tone grew impatient.

  Jiang Yihuai didn’t think much of Shao Yuwei—she was bold, reckless, and pyed around too much. He’d warned Su Yumian to stay away from her more than once. But for once, Su Yumian hadn’t listeo him. Whily made his opinion of Shao Yuwei worse.

  Shao Yuwei wasn’t having it. “Get this straight—you two broke up. What right do you have to ask me where she is?”

  Jiang Yihuai scoffed. “And how many times have we ‘broken up’? you even t on both hands?”

  “So?”

  “So you stopping me is pointless. Don’t make yourself the bad guy for no reason.”

  After all, in the end, Su Yumian would always e crawling back.

  Shao Yuwei ughed in disbelief. “Do you see her as somethihan a dog? You throw her away when you want, take her back when you want. She doesn’t matter, right? Not worth cherishing?”

  Jiang Yihuai was done listening. “If you won’t tell me, I’ll find her myself.”

  At that moment, the young man beside Shao Yuwei stepped forward, blog his way. “Sir, f entry into a private home is illegal.”

  Jiang Yihuai didn’t even spare him a gnce. He looked straight at Shao Yuwei, smirking coldly.

  “Fine. I’ll remember this. But it won’t matter—you try to stop me, but in the end… she’ll still e crawling back to beg me like a dog.”