Around noon, just before finishing work, Aunt Zhang delivered lunch—enough for two people. Wen Ran couldn't finish it all by herself, so she invited Sister Li to join her.
The two of them sat on the sofa in her office, enjoying Aunt Zhang's home-cooked dishes. Sister Li smiled and said, "Ranran, it seems I was wrong about Mo Xiuchen. Even though there was no love between you two before marriage, the care and attentiveness he shows you are rare among men."
A faint smile graced Wen Ran's lips. It was true—Mo Xiuchen treated her very well.
Just the fact that he had helped Wen Corporation through its crisis was enough to make her deeply grateful. Swallowing her food, she grinned and said, "Sister Li, you're such a great cook. Why don't you teach me a few dishes?"
A hint of surprise flickered in Sister Li's eyes. She gazed at Wen Ran's radiant smile and teased, "Are you learning to cook for Mo Xiuchen? Ranran, are you sure you want to do this?"
Before the Wen family's troubles, Wen Ran had been a pampered young lady who had never done a day's work in her life. Her parents and brother adored her, and she didn't even know the difference between oil and salt.
But in just half a month, the girl sitting across from Sister Li had matured by at least five years. She had become composed, resilient, and strong—completely different from the Wen Ran of the past.
Wen Ran admitted frankly, "Mo Xiuchen has done so much for me. I should at least do something in return. I can't help in other ways, but I recently found out from Aunt Zhang that there are a few dishes he particularly likes. So I thought I'd learn to make them."
Sister Li nodded approvingly. "Alright, if you're serious about learning, I'll teach you. And if there's something I don't know, my husband can teach you—he's a head chef at a five-star hotel."
Wen Ran's eyes lit up. Striking while the iron was hot, she suggested, "Why not start this afternoon? Mo Xiuchen mentioned that Qin Mu would be coming to the factory today, so we can leave work a little early."
"So soon?"
Sister Li looked at her in surprise.
Wen Ran chuckled and placed a chicken drumstick in her bowl. "This weekend is Mo Xiuchen's birthday. If I learn in the next couple of days, I can cook for him as a special birthday gift!"
Sister Li nodded in agreement. Given Qin Mu's capabilities, he would have no problem assisting Wen Ran in managing the factory, so there was no need to worry. She readily agreed, "Alright then. Since Ah Mu is here, leaving an hour or two early shouldn't be a problem."
—*
That afternoon, Qin Mu arrived at Wen Corporation as scheduled. Wen Ran held a senior management meeting to inform all departments of the changes.
With Qin Mu's support, her schedule freed up in the afternoon. By 4 PM, she and Sister Li left work early to go grocery shopping.
Sister Li's husband was a head chef at a five-star hotel, so Wen Ran didn't have to worry about picking the right ingredients—Sister Li had it all covered.
Just as they stepped out of the supermarket, Wen Ran's phone rang. Seeing Mo Xiuchen's name on the screen, she answered, saying, "Hello?"
Before she could say more, Mo Xiuchen's questioning voice came through, "You're not at the pharmaceutical factory. Where did you go?"
Wen Ran paused mid-step, instinctively stopping in her tracks. "How do you know I'm not at the factory? Are you there right now?"
She wasn't just guessing—she had overheard Zhou Mingfu's voice in the background. But what really surprised her was why Mo Xiuchen would suddenly visit the factory.
"Mm. I came to pick you up from work."
Mo Xiuchen's response was brief.
Wen Ran glanced at the time on her phone and realized they had spent over an hour shopping—it was already past work hours.
She smiled apologetically and said, "I'm with Sister Li running some errands. You should go home first. I'll be back later."