President, please comfort me.

Xiao He's promise to cook for Wen Qi wasn't just empty talk; he put in a lot of effort after that day.

He not only hired two senior chefs from the Imperial Capital Hotel to personally teach him cooking skills, but also reduced his workload considerably so that he could spend more time at home studying cooking.

Several times when Wen Qi came home from get off work, she would see Xiao He busy in the kitchen.

The chef stood by, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, intently cooking one delicious dish after another.

His focused expression made it seem as if he was completing a crucial task. If someone who didn't know him saw this, they might mistake him for a virtuous stay-at-home husband!

Looking at Xiao He, who was so different from usual, Wen Qi felt a warm current welling up in her heart.

She knew that Xiao He was fulfilling his promise from that day. The reason he was so thoughtful was entirely out of his love and care for her. This deep affection made her feel extremely happy and warm.

People with high IQs and initiative learn quickly. A week later, Xiao He was already able to cook several home-style dishes.

That Friday, he deliberately left work early so that Wenqi could check his initial results for the week. So, before she got home, he personally cooked a few dishes.

Stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, stir-fried shredded pork with garlic shoots, minced pork and eggplant, braised pork belly, and tofu meatball soup—it took him almost two hours to prepare these simple four dishes and one soup, and he even carefully plated them.

Wen Qi left work on time, planning to order a delicious takeout meal to reward herself for working five days. However, she saw Xiao He's car in the yard, the same car he had driven away that morning. But this was nothing new; he had been leaving get off work earlier than her lately.

But when she entered the room and saw the several exquisite dishes on the table, and Xiao He standing to the side with a slight smile, she was still taken aback and stunned. It was somewhat unexpected that he had completed his apprenticeship so quickly.

Xiao He pulled out a chair for her: "Go wash your hands, it's time to eat."

"Did you make all of these?" Wen Qi asked, pointing to the dishes on the table.

Xiao He raised an eyebrow: "Hmm."

After washing her hands, Wen Qi, under Xiao He's watchful gaze, earnestly and expectantly picked up each dish, chewed them gently, and then drank a few mouthfuls of hot soup.

It has to be said that Xiao He is quite talented in cooking. Wen Qi thought that these dishes were very good in terms of both taste and color, which made her taste buds very happy.

If you didn't tell me, no one would believe that this came from a complete beginner.

"How is it? Is it delicious?" Xiao He appeared calm on the surface, but was actually nervous inside.

"It's delicious!" Wen Qi nodded, her eyes sparkling with surprise, and asked again incredulously, "Did you really make it?"

Xiao He curled the corners of his lips and calmly served her food and soup: "Well, didn't I say I'd cook for you from now on?"

"Oh, thank you." Wenqi was touched.

Xiao He looked at her with incredibly gentle eyes: "I'm glad you like it. I'll learn as soon as possible. You can tell me what you want to eat."

“I like anything you make,” Wen Qi said with a smile.

The two ate their meal and chatted casually, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

After dinner, Xiao took the initiative to clear the dishes. Wen Qi wanted to help, but he refused, saying, "Go play, I'll do it." He tied on his apron, and after several days of intensive study, he could now skillfully start washing the dishes.

Wen Qi leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching his back, her heart filled with sweetness. She felt that this kind of life wasn't so bad.

-

Tang Chao spent a full five days in Xiamen, doing many things that couples do with Lanling: building snowmen, watching movies, visiting amusement parks, having candlelight dinners, and taking evening strolls hand in hand on the beach.

During this time, Jiangnan made several phone calls to Tang Chao, subtly urging him to return to the capital, but Tang Chao did not return. It was only when an important partner had to be dealt with by Tang Chao that Tang Chao finally relented.

Although Lanling was reluctant to part, she knew she couldn't be too clingy and affect his work; she had to be an understanding girlfriend.

She nestled in Tang Chao's arms, trying to convince herself as she spoke: "Go back. You've been with me for so many days, I'm already very grateful. I know I'm important, and so is my job. You need to earn more money to support me."

Tang Chao gently patted her head, looked down at her with a smile, and said with a sense of relief, "So sensible?"

Lanling pouted: "That's right, don't underestimate me."

"Honey, I'll make time to come see you every week."

The flight from the capital to Xiamen takes two or three hours, which is neither too close nor too far. Lanling was worried that he would get tired, but she also longed to see him every day. She stopped herself at the last minute and finally just gave a soft "hmm".

Their flight was in the evening, so the two spent the whole afternoon watching movies in their hotel room. Lanling wanted to take him to the airport, but Tang Chao wouldn't allow it and even took her home before he left.

The two kissed goodbye in the car, and only after watching Lanling enter her home did Tang Chao turn around and head towards the airport.

The first thing Tang Chao did upon returning was to investigate Zhou Luwen's visit to the Imperial Garden to find him. As he had suspected, it turned out that one of his subordinates had betrayed him.

Secretary Zhang Minmin has been fired. As for Zhou Luwen, Tang Chao sat in his office, trying to awaken the memory that had been left in a corner of his mind.

He and Zhou Luwen had a budding romance towards the end of their university years. At that time, he was not as mature and composed as he is now, and he inevitably carried some of the air of a college student.

Although they were in the same class, university is an open and unstructured society. Moreover, he, Xiao He, and Ye Lin had their own circles, which were difficult for boys to integrate into, let alone girls.

However, due to an event, the two had close contact, and he felt that Zhou Luwen was mature and steady, quite close to his ideal type.

With their good looks and encouragement from classmates, the two naturally got together without either of them taking the initiative.

They thought they could break the curse of graduation breakup season, but in fact, like most couples, they broke up soon after graduation because of the long-distance relationship.

The budding romance was nipped in the bud, and they never crossed paths again.

Because of this incident, he was ridiculed for a long time by Ye Lin, who claimed to be his brother.

Ye Lin put his arm around his shoulder and said in a cheeky tone, "If I can't find a girlfriend in the future, I'll blame you. You're the one who didn't let me experience the beauty of love, which made me afraid of love."

Then he cleared his throat dramatically and looked at Tang Chao with deep affection: "Oh~ love came too fast, like a tornado..."

"Get lost, it's not like I got dumped." Tang Chao was speechless and so angry that she unilaterally broke off all contact with him for two days.