The morning sunlight filtered through the window lattice, falling onto the checkered tablecloth covering the dining table, illuminating Su Ling’s breakfast for the day—
A plate of scallion pancakes, their edges golden and crisp, still steaming hot.
“Ah, Lingling, I almost forgot the Eight Treasures Porridge I cooked last night. I’ll go get it now.”
Just as Ruan Zhixian sat down, she suddenly slapped her forehead, then got up again and headed toward the kitchen.
“Ding dong—”
The crisp sound of the doorbell came from the entrance.
“I know, I’m coming to open it—”
This time, before Ruan Zhixian in the kitchen could finish speaking, Su Ling was already up and moving toward the door with practiced ease.
For some reason, she felt as if she could already guess who was at the door…
The black-haired girl thought this as she placed her hand on the doorknob.
The door opened.
As expected, standing there was the petite girl in a suit and skirt—her mouth slightly open, gasping for breath, sweat beading on her temples, and a few strands of hair stuck to her flushed cheeks.
“Da, young lady! N-not good!”
“Alright, Secretary Lin, come in and tell us slowly.”
Su Ling looked at the flustered little secretary with a mix of familiarity and helplessness, stepping aside to let her pass.
“Yeah, yeah, Secretary Lin, why are you always in such a rush? Have you eaten breakfast? Want to come in for some Eight Treasures Porridge?”
Ruan Zhixian peeked out holding a full pot of porridge and called out.
“Ah, thank you, Miss Ruan. I haven’t… no, wait!”
The little secretary bowed habitually, then suddenly raised her head halfway through her sentence.
“Young lady, it’s bad! Something happened to Miss Wang and Miss Tang!”
“What did you say???”
Su Ling and Ruan Zhixian shouted in unison.
***
In the corridors of the Third People’s Hospital of City C, a golden figure hurriedly carried a large food container, rushing back and forth.
“Wuwuwu… Jin’er, please don’t be hurt! If something happens to you, I…”
“Alright, alright, calm down. I’m perfectly fine.”
Turning a corner, Tang Jin’er sat helplessly on a chair outside the ward, holding her forehead.
Today, Miss Tang was still dressed in a red dress, although it was dust-stained and torn in several places, with a bandage on her cheek and faint bruising under her eyes. Still, she looked relatively well.
“Phew! That’s great, Jin’er! You’re okay! I heard from Secretary Lin that you had a car accident—I was so scared!”
“Like I said, I wasn’t the one in the accident… Hey, wait, you silly deer! Don’t just pounce on me!”
Unfortunately, Tang’s warning came too late. Before she could react, Ruan Zhixian, tears in her eyes, had already grabbed her head in a hug.
“Ugh! Ruan Zhixian, you horrible bear monster! Are you trying to smother me?!”
Panting, Tang Jin’er struggled free from the blonde girl’s grip, speaking with a scowl.
“Wuwu, Jin’er, that’s too mean! I’m only worried about you…”
“Wuwuwu… since Miss Tang is okay, that means… that means…”
The two turned their heads toward the far end of the corridor, where Secretary Lin, tears streaming down her face, was finally arriving, followed closely by a frowning Su Ling.
“Wuwuwu… that means… that means… Miss Wang…”
The little secretary sobbed as she wiped her tears.
At that moment, a doctor emerged from the ward before them.
“Wuwu, Doctor Sister, please tell me, what exactly happened to Miss Wang…”
“Alright, alright, I’ve already said, family members, please don’t cause a disturbance; this is a hospital!”
The female doctor waved her hand impatiently.
“The patient is not in serious condition. The vehicle that hit her must have just started moving and wasn’t going fast. It seems the patient had previously learned how to react when being hit by a car, which reduced the impact considerably. She was just knocked unconscious by the shock.”
“We have already treated her wounds. Once she wakes up and rests well, she will be able to be discharged.”
“Phew! That’s such a relief! So Miss Wang is okay too!”
The little secretary bowed apologetically to the doctor, then whispered excitedly when the doctor nodded.
“Yes, thankfully she’s fine too…”
“But we will definitely make those damn people pay!”
Tang Jin’er sighed, then clenched her fists with a hateful look.
“Um, Jin’er, what exactly happened last night?”
Ruan Zhixian swallowed a bite of scallion pancake, curious as she asked the girl in the red dress.
“Ah, well… that’s a bit of a long story…”
“Wait, where did your scallion pancake come from?”
Just as Tang Jin’er was about to speak, her attention was drawn by the golden-haired girl’s hand.
“Oh, this?”
“I made it this morning. But there weren’t many scallion pancakes since I originally planned it just for me and Lingling…”
“However, I made a lot of Eight Treasures Porridge because I wanted to save some for the evening!”
“Jin’er, you probably haven’t eaten this morning either, want some?”
With that, Ruan Zhixian handed over a scallion pancake and then scooped a bowl of Eight Treasures Porridge for Tang Jin’er.
I’ve known Zhixian for so long, and I didn’t know she could cook?
Tang Jin’er hesitated slightly, took the scallion pancake, and slowly brought it to her somewhat dry lips. She opened her mouth tentatively and took a bite.
“Mm! This is delicious!”
The crust was crisp and fragrant, the inside chewy and springy, with the savory aroma of scallions and oil that wasn’t greasy.
Though it wasn’t piping hot anymore, which slightly affected the texture, it was undeniably a very tasty scallion pancake.
“Mm! This is good too!”
The girl in red eagerly lifted the bowl of Eight Treasures Porridge and took a long sip.
The porridge was soft and thick, with hearty ingredients. The natural sweetness of red dates and longans was complemented by the slightly gritty bean paste and the chewy lotus seeds, making it smooth and sweet.
“How is it? Good, right?”
Ruan Zhixian looked very pleased and smiled proudly at Tang Jin’er’s surprised expression.
“Yeah! Zhixian, when did you get so good at cooking? I never… wait…”
Suddenly, Tang Jin’er recalled what the girl had said earlier.
Didn’t Zhixian just say this was originally breakfast for her and Su Ling? That means Zhixian made this breakfast especially for Su Ling this morning?
Damn it!
Ruan Zhixian, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes! I’ve been your close friend for so many years and never once saw you make me a meal!
You’ve only been with Su Ling a short time, and you’re already making love breakfasts!
Tang Jin’er suddenly found the porridge in her left hand not appetizing anymore.
And it tasted so good too! It was obviously learned just for Su Ling!
Damn it! Those damn little couples!
Miss Tang bit fiercely into the scallion pancake in her right hand.
“Mm! Delicious!”
“So, Jin’er, what exactly happened to you and Secretary Wang yesterday?”
After distributing the breakfast to everyone present, Ruan Zhixian turned back to Tang Jin’er and brought up the topic again.
“Ah, well…”
Tang Jin’er’s cheeks puffed out slightly as she began to reminisce.