The early morning sunlight slanted through a single old, slightly greasy glass window, spilling into the narrow kitchen.
The air was filled with the low rumble of the range hood.
In front of the stove, a Lolita Mom with a strong motherly vibe was standing on her tiptoes, struggling to reach a plate in the overhead cabinet.
She wore a cotton nightgown that had been washed until it was white, its neckline already a bit loose. Around her waist was tied a pink Little Bear Apron. Because the apron was tied a bit tight, it accentuated her waist, which was so slender it looked as if it might snap. As she stood on her tiptoes, the hem of her nightgown swayed gently, revealing a glimpse of her fair, rounded calves that were tinged with a faint pink hue.
Holding a spatula, she clumsily avoided the splatters of oil from the frying eggs. She hummed a self-composed tune, her toes tapping lightly on the floor to the rhythm.
Gu Hanyan leaned against the doorframe, not entering immediately. Her eyes were fixed longingly on Su Rou’s ponytail, which swayed gently as she hummed.
‘Too cute. She’s so cute that I want to hide her away, lock her in this tiny kitchen, and have her cook only for me for the rest of her life. I want her to wear these clothes only for my eyes.’
Gu Hanyan took a deep breath, suppressing the near-pathological possessiveness in her eyes, and replaced it with a lazy, harmless expression.
She took a step forward with her long legs, sliding into the kitchen silently like an elegant black cat. She stopped right behind Su Rou and leaned down slightly. Her straight, jet-black hair fell forward, the tips lightly brushing against the back of Su Rou’s neck.
“It smells so good…”
Gu Hanyan’s voice was low and magnetic, carrying the slight nasal tone characteristic of someone who had just woken up. Her warm breath fanned against the curve of Su Rou’s ear.
“Ah!”
Su Rou was startled by the sudden voice. The spatula in her hand almost went flying, and she jumped in place like a startled little rabbit. She whipped her head around, her forehead nearly colliding with Gu Hanyan’s chin.
Upon seeing that cool, exquisitely beautiful face so close to her own, Su Rou’s face instantly turned bright red.
“C-CEO Gu?! When did you come in? You didn’t make a sound when you walked… You scared me to death…”
Su Rou took a panicked step back, but she forgot that the counter was right behind her. There was nowhere to retreat.
“Sorry, did I scare you?”
The corners of Gu Hanyan’s mouth curled into a smile, and she didn’t back away. Instead, she braced one hand against the counter and naturally rested the other on the door beside Su Rou.
Thump.
It was a perfect posture that completely trapped Su Rou in her arms.
The narrow space suddenly felt even more cramped. The air was filled with Gu Hanyan’s crisp mint scent mixed with the aroma of fried eggs, creating an ambiguous atmosphere that made Su Rou’s face flush with heat.
“I was unconsciously drawn in because the smell was just too good.”
Gu Hanyan lowered her head slightly, her gaze locking onto Su Rou’s panicked eyes, her tone carrying a subtle, enticing hook.
Su Rou’s heart hammered against her ribs. Her back was pressed tight against the edge of the stove, and her hands fumbled nervously with the corners of her apron. Her eyes darted around, too anxious to meet Gu Hanyan’s gaze.
“The smell? Um… Is the oil smoke too strong? Or did the eggs burn? I—I’ll open the window right now!”
“It’s not the smell of smoke.”
Gu Hanyan shook her head and leaned forward a few more inches, her nose almost touching Su Rou’s cheek. She took a deep breath as if savoring a rare treasure.
“It’s a… very sweet, milky scent. Rou, did you sneak some White Rabbit creamy candy? Or is this… actually your scent?”
Su Rou froze for 2 seconds, looking at Gu Hanyan’s focused gaze, before an expression of realization dawned on her.
“Oh! I know! CEO Gu, you must be talking about that!”
She explained with a serious expression, even going as far as to proactively hold her fair arm under Gu Hanyan’s nose, fearing the other woman might misunderstand something.
“It’s the body wash! It’s a milk-scented body wash I bought on sale at the supermarket downstairs. It was buy one get one free for only 9.90! Even though it’s cheap, the fragrance is really strong. I find it a bit cloying myself… Did it overwhelm you?”
At this point, she shrank her neck back slightly, a hint of self-consciousness flickering in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, CEO Gu. I’ll go wash it off right now… You definitely wouldn’t be used to such low-quality fragrances.”
Gu Hanyan looked at the Lolita Mom in front of her, who was blinking her large eyes with a self-reproaching look. A feeling of helplessness and affection nearly overflowed from her chest.
“Silly.”
Gu Hanyan chuckled softly. She reached out, her fingertips lightly hooking Su Rou’s chin to force her to look up.
“Who said I disliked it? I like the way you smell very much…”
Su Rou’s cheeks instantly felt as if they were on fire, and even the tips of her ears turned red. She stammered, “Y-You should stop joking… How could someone like me…”
“I’m not joking.”
Gu Hanyan cut her off. She withdrew her hand, turned around, and leaned her back against the counter with her arms crossed. She gazed out the window with a hollow look, feigning a pitiful state.
“Rou, actually… I really envy you.”
“Eh? Envy?”
Su Rou was stunned, still holding her spatula with a dazed look in her eyes.
Gu Hanyan lowered her eyelashes, her voice softening with a perfectly calculated touch of vulnerability.
“Do you know? Every morning when I wake up, there is only cold air. My daughter doesn’t really talk to me much now, and we even had a fight a few days ago. I don’t even know who to talk to about the frustration in my heart. I’ve been so worried these 2 days that I haven’t even been able to eat.”
She paused and turned to look at Su Rou. Her cool eyes were now filled with loneliness.
“It’s been a long time… since I’ve had a hot breakfast that someone made specifically for me. Sometimes I wonder what the point of making all that money is. I don’t even have someone to share a warm meal with. Every day when I go home, I just face empty walls…”
This show of weakness was incredibly effective against someone with Su Rou’s personality. Su Rou’s heart instantly melted into a puddle of sympathy.
‘So CEO Gu is this pitiful. That makes sense; rich people must be very lonely. Although she has money and status, she doesn’t even have a family member who cares for her. I might be poor, but at least I have Ruanruan and Xiaoxiao by my side.’
“CEO Gu…”
Su Rou hesitated for a moment before gathering her courage to speak.
“Um… if you don’t mind, in the future… you can come over to eat often! Although I only make home-cooked meals and don’t have any high-end ingredients, there will always be enough hot food!”
The moment those words left her mouth, a predatory glint of success flashed deep within Gu Hanyan’s eyes.
However, she maintained her facade, looking somewhat hesitant as her gaze wavered. “Is that… okay? Would it be too much of a bother? Besides, I don’t really have a reason…”
“It’s no bother at all!”
Su Rou waved her hands hurriedly.
“I have to cook for Ruanruan and Xiaoxiao anyway; it’s just one more pair of chopsticks! Besides, you’ve helped us so much, and I still don’t know how to repay you!”
“Repay me, huh…”
The corners of Gu Hanyan’s mouth curled into a meaningful arc. She leaned in toward Su Rou again and whispered:
“Alright then. Since you’re being so hospitable, I’ll… graciously accept. However, I don’t like being a freeloader. I’ll cover the cost of the ingredients for the house from now on. You can buy whatever you want.”
“I can’t do that!” Su Rou started to refuse.
Gu Hanyan pressed her index finger against Su Rou’s lips, her gaze so tender it looked as if it could drip with water.
“Shh—be good.”
“As long as it’s something you made… I’ll like it. The only flavor I want to taste is yours.”
Gu Hanyan slowed down significantly for that last sentence, her eyes staring intently at Su Rou’s lips as if transmitting a much more suggestive message through those words.
Su Rou felt her brain go *boom* as she completely short-circuited.
She hurriedly turned around to plate the fried eggs, not daring to respond. She could only use a voice an octave higher than usual to hide her panic.
“U-Um… let’s eat! Let’s eat quickly! It’ll get cold if we wait!”
Gu Hanyan looked at the tips of her ears, which were red enough to bleed, and a pleased smile spread across her face.