When Aunt Yu came back, the two of them were already busy in the kitchen. As soon as she walked in, she handed over what she was carrying, and the kitchen came alive with activity. Aunt Yu thought it was Yu Shuman doing the cooking, and she was about to say something, but when she peeked inside, she saw that it was Qin Ran doing the work.
She froze for a moment, then instinctively tried to stop her, "How can we let Xiaoran do the cooking? Auntie will take care of it. You've traveled all this way, and must be tired. Go rest."
Yu Shuman knew that Qin Ran wanted to impress her mother, and since she hadn't told her yet that she had come out of the closet, she now had to help Qin Ran win her mother over.
"Mom, just sit down and take a break. Xiaoran has learned a lot about cooking this past year and has been saying she wants to show off her skills for you. It's rare for her to come by, so you should let her take care of it and taste what she's made." Yu Shuman gave Qin Ran a quick wink, signaling that she would handle her mother, then guided Aunt Yu to the living room and got her to sit down and relax.
"You silly child, how can you let Xiaoran do all the work..." Aunt Yu grumbled as she sat down on the couch, clearly displeased. However, mid-sentence, she suddenly remembered their relationship and stopped speaking, her face showing a bit of awkwardness. Seeing her mother's expression, Yu Shuman immediately guessed what she was thinking, and she also felt embarrassed. Both mother and daughter sat on the couch, listening to the clanking noises from the kitchen, their faces flushing slightly.
After a moment, Aunt Yu leaned in and lowered her voice, as if afraid that Qin Ran in the kitchen might overhear: "That child... Did Xiaoran really learn how to cook just for you?"
Yu Shuman, feeling a bit shy, sat upright but kept her head low, speaking softly, even quieter than her mother's whisper, "Mm..."
"That poor girl... She lost her parents, grew up as an orphan, and has suffered so much. Now that she's with you, instead of you taking good care of her, you're letting her cook for you... Shuman, you..." Hearing her mother's reprimand, Yu Shuman didn't defend herself. She didn't feel like her mother was siding with an outsider, knowing that her mother genuinely cared for Qin Ran. Instead of arguing, she spoke of Qin Ran's kindness.
"She really takes good care of me. Normally, when I don't have time to cook, she always makes meals for me. If I get home late, she'll even prepare me a snack."
At first, Aunt Yu listened quietly, but when she heard this, she couldn't take it anymore. Her voice grew a little louder: "You two… are living together?!" Luckily, Qin Ran was busy stir-frying, and the noise from the kitchen drowned out Aunt Yu's voice. Otherwise, Qin Ran might have panicked and run away.
Yu Shuman quickly realized her mother's voice was too loud and hurriedly said, "Mom, keep it down."
Aunt Yu, puzzled, asked, "Why?"
Yu Shuman, feeling a bit flustered, explained, "Xiaoran doesn't know that I've already told you. She still thinks we're just friends in your eyes."
"..." Aunt Yu didn't know what to say, but Yu Shuman continued, "Xiaoran gets scared easily, and whenever something happens, she just wants to hide. If she finds out you know about us, she might not want to come back with me again, and she'll end up spending the New Year all alone. Mom, if you don't want to scare Xiaoran away for the next few years, it's better not to let her know for now."
Aunt Yu gritted her teeth, "Fine."
Aunt Yu had mixed feelings about Qin Ran. On one hand, she pitied Qin Ran for her unfortunate upbringing, losing her parents and growing up without anyone to care for her. Just hearing about it made Aunt Yu tear up. On the other hand, knowing the relationship between her and her daughter, it was impossible for Aunt Yu to have no reservations.
In Aunt Yu's mind, it was clear that her daughter, Yu Shuman, had been the one misled. Yu Shuman had always been a straightforward child, so she must have fallen for Qin Ran first. Qin Ran, being timid, probably didn't dare to reject her, and over time, the two became a couple. Plus, when Yu Shuman came back last year, she wasn't even sure if they would end up together. It was obvious that Yu Shuman had told her everything before going back to pursue Qin Ran.
Aunt Yu had no idea that the seemingly innocent Qin Ran was, in fact, the "big bad wolf" who had whisked her daughter away.
She glanced at Yu Shuman and felt a little weary.
Qin Ran worked hard in the kitchen, spending the whole morning cooking. Even though it was winter, she ended up sweating a lot. Yu Shuman quickly fetched some water for Qin Ran to wash up. Since Qin Ran had prepared all the food, if Yu Shuman didn't take care of other things, she'd feel like a jerk. But to Aunt Yu, this display only made her feel more uneasy.
—Knowing they were together was one thing, but seeing them so close was a whole different feeling for Aunt Yu.
Still, Qin Ran had put in so much effort, and Aunt Yu couldn't just ignore it. That wasn't her way. She could only accept their closeness while praising Qin Ran for growing up and learning to cook so well. Then, she helped carry the dishes to the dining table.
Just like last year, Aunt Yu had prepared drinks: coconut milk and orange juice. The three of them sat down, with Qin Ran and Yu Shuman across from each other, and Aunt Yu sitting to the side. Qin Ran beamed, unaware of what was about to come. She was just thrilled that her meal had turned out well.
In fact, before cooking, she had been a little nervous. Aunt Yu had done the grocery shopping, so Qin Ran hadn't been able to choose the ingredients in advance. She could only wait and see what Aunt Yu brought home and then figure out what she could cook. Luckily, Qin Ran had improved her cooking skills significantly over the past year. With the ingredients Aunt Yu had bought, she managed to prepare a decent four dishes and one soup.
Qin Ran had made garlic butter shrimp, stir-fried beef, sautéed cauliflower, and sea urchin pork rib soup.
She put all her culinary skills into the dishes, especially the garlic butter shrimp, which she had carefully plated. When she poured hot oil over the dish, the sizzling sound and the delicious aroma gave her confidence that the meal would be tasty.
She looked expectantly at Aunt Yu. "Auntie, please try it. I've only just started learning to cook, so I hope it tastes okay. Let me know what you think."
Aunt Yu snapped out of her thoughts and picked up a shrimp with her chopsticks. After taking a bite, she was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. Aunt Yu even wondered if Qin Ran had secretly worked part-time at a restaurant over the past year. Otherwise, how could her cooking skills have improved so much?
It had taken Yu Shuman years of practice to become proficient in the kitchen, so Aunt Yu's small grudge against Qin Ran began to fade. It was clear that Qin Ran had learned to cook for Yu Shuman, and her skills were no accident. She must have put in a lot of effort to reach this level.
As Aunt Yu savored the shrimp, she reflected on everything. After giving it some thought, she decided that since the two of them were clearly in love and it hadn't been easy for either of them, it would be best to let them be together. After all, she would eventually leave before her daughter, and having someone like Qin Ran to care for Yu Shuman would make life much easier for her.
Qin Ran, however, had no idea what Aunt Yu was thinking. She just noticed that after Aunt Yu ate the shrimp, her expression became difficult to read. Qin Ran's heart sank. Could it be that her dish tasted terrible? She had been so confident, but seeing Aunt Yu's face made her anxious.
And then, Aunt Yu sighed.
She sighed!
Qin Ran's heart raced. What if the food was truly awful? Her smile grew strained, and she nervously asked, "Auntie… does it taste bad? Is it not to your liking?"
Aunt Yu snapped out of her thoughts, realizing she had been lost in them for too long. She had been so absorbed in her own musings that she had neglected the two younger women. Her thoughts spilled out before she could stop them.
"No, it's not that. I was just thinking about you two. At first, I was a bit against it, considering that society doesn't fully accept same-sex couples. You'll likely face gossip and difficulty, but now I realize that as long as you two support each other, that's all that matters."
The moment Aunt Yu began speaking, Yu Shuman realized something was wrong. She reached out to tug at her mother's sleeve, but Aunt Yu gave her a stern look and brushed her hand away, continuing her heartfelt speech to Qin Ran.
Qin Ran hadn't expected Aunt Yu to suddenly acknowledge their relationship. She had come here nervous, afraid Aunt Yu might discover something, only for Aunt Yu to outright approve of them.
Qin Ran gulped, feeling both surprised and elated.
She was shocked that Aunt Yu had figured them out, but happy that she had given them her blessing.
But the shock was too much, and Qin Ran's mind struggled to process it. Her mouth fell open, and she glanced between Aunt Yu and Yu Shuman, her astonished expression unmistakable. Aunt Yu, satisfied after spilling her thoughts, turned to see her daughter's equally troubled expression.
Yu Shuman sighed inwardly. Mom, you really are my mother. I asked you not to scare Xiaoran, but you forgot it all the moment we sat down.
Feeling a bit awkward, Aunt Yu tapped her own lips lightly. "Oh... I..."
Qin Ran, still in a daze, finally asked, "Auntie, when did you find out?"
Yu Shuman averted her gaze while Aunt Yu, a bit embarrassed, replied, "When she came home last time, she told me everything." Aunt Yu inadvertently sold out her daughter, while Yu Shuman, covering her face with one hand, let out a deep sigh, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Qin Ran hadn't known that Yu Shuman had confessed to her mother long before they were even officially together. Qin Ran's face also reddened as she realized Yu Shuman had loved her more deeply than she'd ever known.
Sensing the awkwardness, Aunt Yu put down her chopsticks, and for a moment, the room fell into an uncomfortable silence, the three of them frozen in place.
But amidst the tension, a faint undercurrent of affection quietly filled the room.