After realizing she didn't want anyone else in her cozy little home, Qin Ran pondered for a long time. In the 45 minutes that Yu Shuman was in the shower, she made a decision: she was going to learn how to cook.
They say the way to someone's heart is through their stomach, and Qin Ran was willing to cook for love.
She had previously tried making a few simple dishes like seafood salad and some basic vegetable dishes for Yu Shuman. Now, she was determined to go further and master more complex dishes.
Just the thought of Yu Shuman coming home tired after a long day at work, freshening up, and then seeing a table full of home-cooked meals made by Qin Ran filled her with glee. Qin Ran imagined how Yu Shuman would praise her cooking while they ate together, and she couldn't help but giggle to herself.
In truth, the housekeeper's cooking was already quite good, but Qin Ran was determined to learn, so she decided to give the housekeeper a raise in exchange for cooking lessons.
When Yu Shuman finished her shower and came out with her hair dried, Qin Ran eagerly brought her a glass of orange juice and suggested they play a two-player game together. She lowered the TV from the wall, connected the console, and set up a classic co-op game.
The screen split in two as they selected their characters and entered the game. Yu Shuman, playing for the first time, was unfamiliar with the controls, so Qin Ran guided her through the basics. Truthfully, Qin Ran hadn't played the game much herself, as it was one of those that was only fun with a partner.
Some levels required teamwork to progress.
Despite being a newbie, Yu Shuman quickly got the hang of it after a few stumbles. Before long, she was keeping up with Qin Ran's pace, even discovering little tricks to pass levels more efficiently. She started giving Qin Ran pointers on how to advance.
After two hours, Yu Shuman began to feel tired and set the controller down. Qin Ran stared at her own controller, wondering how things had turned out this way. She had started the game, and it was she who had introduced Yu Shuman to it. Initially, everything had gone according to plan, with Qin Ran teaching Yu Shuman how to play.
So how had it ended up with Yu Shuman becoming better than her?
Qin Ran had overlooked one important detail—some people are just naturally good at games.
When Yu Shuman said she was tired, Qin Ran didn't push her to keep playing. She cheerfully wished her goodnight and watched as Yu Shuman went to her room. Only after Yu Shuman had left did Qin Ran return to her bedroom, where she excitedly rolled around on her bed, bursting with happiness.
She hadn't slept well the previous night, so after a shower, she went to bed early.
At first, she lay still, flat on her back, with the air conditioning on and a light blanket pulled up to her chest. She closed her eyes, ready to sleep. But then her mind began to wander. She couldn't stop thinking about how Yu Shuman was just a wall away, how her presence filled the entire home.
The thought alone made Qin Ran pull the blanket over her head, curling up and giggling to herself.
Qin Ran was so excited that she stayed awake for most of the night. She only fell asleep as dawn approached. When she woke up again, it was already 11 a.m. Seeing the time, she immediately threw off the blanket, ran out of her room with her hair a mess, and found the table set with lunch prepared by the housekeeper and a note left by Yu Shuman.
It seemed Yu Shuman hadn't wanted to disturb her sleep, so she hadn't sent a message and instead left a note explaining that she would be busy with promotional activities for her new drama and wouldn't be back for a few days.
Qin Ran scratched her head, yawned, and went back to wash up. Once she was done, she returned to the table to eat lunch. After eating, she contacted Assistant Wu and asked her to inform the housekeeper that starting that evening, she wanted cooking lessons.
The housekeeper wouldn't lose her job; Qin Ran just didn't want her around during mealtimes. The housekeeper was still needed to clean the house because Qin Ran was too lazy to do it herself.
Assistant Wu understood and then updated Qin Ran on Yu Shuman's new drama. "It will be airing in late August, just in time to catch the end of the summer break rush. Ms. Yu's scenes will definitely be aired before the end of summer, so she'll likely gain more fans."
After hanging up, Qin Ran planned to spend the afternoon working, studying, and exercising.
Two days later, Yu Shuman returned home with her suitcase in tow. When Qin Ran received the update from Sister Li, she started counting down the minutes until Yu Shuman arrived. The moment she heard noise at the door, she rushed over excitedly. She could hear the suitcase wheels rolling across the floor before coming to a stop outside the apartment door.
Before Yu Shuman could even reach for the fingerprint scanner, Qin Ran opened the door from the inside.
"You're back?" she greeted with a bright smile, her eyes crinkling with happiness.
Qin Ran had been looking forward to this moment, the chance to say "Welcome home" to Yu Shuman after a long day of work. It was something she had wanted to do for a long time, but they had never lived together before. Now that they did, Qin Ran wasn't going to miss the opportunity.
Yu Shuman stood outside the door, one hand pulling her suitcase and the other holding her bag. She had just been about to put down the suitcase and scan her fingerprint when the door opened. Surprised, she looked up to see Qin Ran standing there, and a smile spread across her face.
"Yeah, I'm back!"
When she had agreed to live with Qin Ran, Yu Shuman had been a bit impulsive. During the past two days, she had calmed down and started to worry that it might not be a good idea. After all, they were not just friends but also boss and employee, with a considerable hierarchy between them.
Living together might invite unwanted gossip.
But the moment the door opened and Qin Ran greeted her, Yu Shuman felt that moving in together was a great idea.
Qin Ran, wearing bunny slippers, stepped out of the doorway and took Yu Shuman's suitcase from her, urging her to come inside. Yu Shuman placed her bag on the entryway cabinet, slipped into a pair of bunny slippers, and watched as Qin Ran brought her suitcase inside.
Qin Ran wheeled the suitcase to the guest room door and gently nudged Yu Shuman inside, telling her to freshen up and rest while she prepared dinner. Yu Shuman smiled and agreed. "Okay." Qin Ran had cooked for her before; though a bit inexperienced, she could make a few simple dishes.
With that in mind, Yu Shuman went to her room to wash up, while Qin Ran tied on an apron and started cooking. She put the rice on to cook first and then began preparing the dishes as the housekeeper had taught her. Cooking wasn't particularly difficult, as long as you followed the steps. The key was practice, and Qin Ran hadn't had much time to practice yet.
The last time she had made that seafood salad, Qin Ran had spent a lot of time learning how to make two basic vegetable dishes—stir-fried tomatoes and stir-fried cucumbers. But this time, Qin Ran didn't want to keep it simple. She aimed to make something a bit more advanced, like stir-fried greens, tomato and egg stir-fry, and for the meat dish, she opted for Coca-Cola chicken wings.
The Coca-Cola chicken wings and tomato and egg stir-fry turned out fine, but she messed up with the stir-fried greens. When she added the greens to the pan, she wasn't sure when they would be done. She was so worried about undercooking them that she added water twice. In the end, it was more like boiled vegetables than stir-fried.
Qin Ran wanted to impress Yu Shuman but ended up making a big mistake. She added too much salt by accident, ruining the entire dish. By the time she realized what had happened, there wasn't enough time to make it again.
When everything was plated, Qin Ran could only frown at the limp, salty greens.
Just then, Yu Shuman came out after freshening up. She moved quickly, not giving Qin Ran a chance to hide the greens. With all her experience in the kitchen, Yu Shuman could tell at a glance that Qin Ran's attempt at stir-fried greens had gone wrong. She chuckled, "Can we eat now? I'm starving."
Qin Ran had no choice but to nod and say the meal was ready. Yu Shuman didn't hesitate to go to the kitchen and bring out two bowls of rice. When she returned to the dining room, she found Qin Ran still staring at the greens. Yu Shuman placed the rice on the table and tugged Qin Ran to sit down.
Once they were both seated, Yu Shuman reached for the greens with her chopsticks.
"Senior!"
Startled by Qin Ran's outburst, Yu Shuman asked, "What's wrong?"
Qin Ran fidgeted, "Don't eat those greens. I messed them up… Maybe I should order something instead."
"Why waste money? Let me try them first." Yu Shuman dismissed Qin Ran's suggestion and continued reaching for the greens.
The greens hung limply from Yu Shuman's chopsticks, looking lifeless. Qin Ran could barely breathe as she watched Yu Shuman put the greens in her mouth. The moment Yu Shuman began chewing, her expression changed slightly, but Qin Ran didn't dare look at her, afraid that Yu Shuman might spit it out.
Yu Shuman chewed and swallowed the greens, and Qin Ran couldn't help but ask, "Senior, are they really that bad?"
Yu Shuman smiled and nodded, "They are pretty bad." She was an honest person, and she hadn't intended to lie to Qin Ran. Hearing Yu Shuman's reply, Qin Ran's spirits sank. She hung her head, the defeat clear in her posture.
Seeing this, Yu Shuman's smile grew wider. "They're bad, but considering your level, it's not too bad. As long as you keep trying, I'm sure you'll get better! My cooking was awful when I first started; even my mom couldn't eat it."
Despite Yu Shuman's encouragement, Qin Ran still felt disappointed. She picked up a piece of the tomato and egg stir-fry and put it in Yu Shuman's bowl. "Senior, try this. I think it turned out okay."
Yu Shuman ate the tomato and egg stir-fry with rice and then reached for more of the greens.
Qin Ran panicked, "Senior! You don't have to eat them if they're bad!"
But Yu Shuman persisted, "It's fine. They're just a bit too salty. You'll make them better next time, but I'm not going to waste food. I'll eat everything you make, even if it doesn't turn out well."
Hearing this, Qin Ran's eyes lit up.
What Yu Shuman meant was that she planned to keep living with her for a long, long time.