215: Chapter 215 The two women cook again

Wen Yulan leaned in and took a sniff.

"Hmm, it really smells quite good. It's much better than the first time I made it. When I first cooked braised pork belly, I tried to caramelize the sugar and ended up turning it into black charcoal, ruining the whole pot."

Chen Xuemiao's eyes lit up.

"Really? Sister Yulan, you've had culinary disasters too? I always thought you were at a master chef level and could cook anything."

"Who said that? I had to practice slowly too. I didn't know how to cook before, but after I got married, I had no choice but to learn. Back then, I'd stare at recipes every day, and I'd have to make a dish several times before it turned out decent."

"When I made shredded pork with garlic sauce, I cut the meat as thick as chopsticks, and it was too tough to chew when I stir-fried it. My ex-husband didn't say anything when he ate it; he just silently ordered takeout."

Chen Xuemiao was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Sister Yulan, are you trying to comfort me or just sharing your dark history? But seriously, that ex-husband of yours really didn't deserve to eat your cooking. It's better now; you're cooking for Wang Yang. Wang Yang has a sweet tongue; no matter how it turns out, he'll definitely say it's delicious."

The corners of Wen Yulan's mouth slowly curled up as she lowered her head to continue chopping green onions.

"Yes. He praises me every time. Last time, the shredded potatoes were uneven, but he still said it was delicious. I don't know if he really thought it was good or if he was just humoring me."

Chen Xuemiao put down the spatula, turned around to lean against the stove, crossed her arms over her chest, and tilted her head to look at Wen Yulan.

"Of course he really thinks it's delicious. Don't you know what Brother Yang is like? If he thinks something isn't good, he'll just say it. When he praises you, he genuinely thinks it's good."

She paused and lowered her voice a little.

"Sister Yulan, you really like Brother Yang, don't you?"

Wen Yulan's hand, which was chopping the green onions, paused for a moment.

"Mm. I do."

Her voice was soft but steady.

Chen Xuemiao watched her, quiet for a few seconds, then smiled.

"Me too. I've never liked anyone before. Back when I hung out with Liu Qian, plenty of people chased after me, including rich second-generation kids and handsome guys, but I didn't like any of them."

"I was just in it for the money, thinking that as long as they had money, it was fine. But then I met Brother Yang. Not only is he rich, but he's also good to me and doesn't mind that I'm a gold digger. I just felt that he's the one for me for the rest of my life."

She turned around, picked up the spatula, and stirred the pork ribs again.

"That's why I have to learn how to cook. He's going back to his hometown tomorrow, so when he comes back and sees that I can prepare a whole table of dishes, he'll definitely be shocked. My goal is to make him think of the two of us whenever he thinks about coming home for a meal."

"And when he's out socializing and eats something delicious, he'll think to himself: 'It's not as good as what the two of them make at home.'"

Wen Yulan smiled and scooped the chopped green onions into a bowl.

"Your ambition is quite grand. But I'm about the same; I'm going back to my hometown tomorrow too, so I won't be able to cook for him every day. I just want to make him a good meal before I leave so he remembers this taste."

Chen Xuemiao turned her head to look at her.

"Sister Yulan, when are you leaving tomorrow?"

"In the morning. What about you?"

"Me too, in the morning. Brother Yang is going back to his hometown tomorrow, and we're both going back to our respective homes too. Then we'll come back after the New Year, and the three of us will be together again. Do you think Brother Yang will miss us during the New Year?"

Wen Yulan thought for a moment.

"He will. He might not say it, but he'll definitely be thinking about it. A person like him seems carefree on the surface, but he actually cares deeply about the people around him."

Chen Xuemiao nodded, then rolled her eyes, leaned in close to Wen Yulan, and lowered her voice.

"Sister Yulan, do you think Brother Yang will take another woman back with him to his hometown?"

Wen Yulan glanced at her.

"Why do you always think about things like that? Whether he brings someone or not is his business; we can't control it. If he brings someone, I'll be happy for him; if he doesn't, I won't be angry. He has his own sense of propriety. He's not the type to forget old flames for new ones. Look at how he treats us; it's all sincere."

Chen Xuemiao thought about it and nodded.

"That's true. He treats both of us well and isn't biased. Last time in bed, too, holding one in each arm—it was very fair."

Wen Yulan blushed and picked up the kitchen knife to continue chopping vegetables.

"Can you be serious? Don't talk about things like that while cooking."

Chen Xuemiao chuckled.

"Alright, alright, being serious now. Then, speaking of serious matters, how much longer does this pork rib need to braise?"

Wen Yulan looked at the pot.

"Braise it for another ten minutes. I'll go serve the soup."

She turned to pick up the pot of corn and pork rib soup from the stove.

As she bent over, the hem of her cotton nightdress rode up, revealing even more of her fair thighs.

Chen Xuemiao glanced at it and smiled.

"Sister Yulan, you have such a great figure. No wonder Brother Yang can never bear to get off you every time."

Wen Yulan nearly knocked over the bowl, turned around to glare at Chen Xuemiao, her face completely flushed.

"If you say any less, no one will mistake you for a mute."

Chen Xuemiao covered her mouth and laughed.

In the kitchen, the sound of the spatula stir-frying and their laughter blended together, with the warm yellow light falling upon them.

It fell upon the pot of steaming pork ribs on the stove.

The city night view unfolded outside the window, and the thousands of lights looked like a brilliant galaxy.

...

Inside the hotel room.

The bedside lamp was casting a warm yellow light.

Wang Yang was leaning against the headboard, his white bathrobe loose, revealing his sturdy chest.

Qin Xiaoran was still maintaining her previous posture, leaning in his arms, her fingers resting on Bai Yuyan's arm.

The bed was very quiet, with only the sound of the three people's breathing intertwined.

Bai Yuyan was lying on her side, her face buried in Wang Yang's chest, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

She slowly opened her eyes.

What met her eyes was a blur of off-white—the fabric of the bathrobe.

Then she felt something...

A faint soreness came from her body.

It wasn't that kind of intense pain, but a strange, indescribable sensation of soreness and fullness.

And the arm wrapped around her waist was steady and warm, holding her entirely in his embrace.

Bai Yuyan's mind was still dazed.

She remembered drinking alcohol—many cups.

The plum wine was sweet, and the sake was warm.

Then someone carried her into the car; it was very steady and warm.

Then someone put her on the bed.

And then.

She suddenly lifted her head.

Wang Yang was looking down at her, a faint smile on his lips.

"Awake?"

Bai Yuyan's mind exploded with a buzz.

She instinctively shrank back, and the quilt slid down from her chest, exposing her smooth shoulders and collarbone.

She looked down—she wasn't wearing anything.

There were a few faint red marks on her shoulders.

She grabbed the quilt to cover her chest, her face flushing from her cheeks to her earlobes, and from her earlobes down to her neck, her voice trembling.

"I, I... Brother Yang. We... I..."

Qin Xiaoran poked her head out from beside Wang Yang, blinking her eyes.

"Yuyan, you're awake. How did you sleep?"

Seeing Qin Xiaoran, Bai Yuyan breathed a sigh of relief, but then she suddenly realized something.

She stared fixedly at Qin Xiaoran, then looked at Wang Yang, then back at herself, her lips trembling, her eyes turning a little red.

Qin Xiaoran climbed out of Wang Yang's arms, moved to Bai Yuyan's side, and reached out to put her arm around her shoulder.