Assistant Little Xu was sitting in the back checking train tickets. "Sis, there's one at eight. We can head to the train station now and arrive in City B by 9:10."
Yu Wanqiu glanced at Jiang Lan. "What about other time slots?"
Little Xu immediately replied, "There's also one at 8:30, arriving at 9:40."
Yu Wanqiu said, "Let's eat before heading back."
Little Xu booked the 8:30 train ticket.
Jiang Lan's eyes lit up. "Teacher Yu, what should we eat? BBQ, hotpot, or roast duck? I'm not familiar with this area. Do you have any recommendations? It's my treat."
Yu Wanqiu told the driver, "Take us to the private kitchen I frequent."
Jiang Lan touched her phone, wondering if the private kitchen would be expensive. Would her 1,200 yuan vanish in one night? If the food was good, it would be worth it. After all, it was Yu Wanqiu who introduced her to this job. If she spent it, so be it.
Yu Wanqiu closed her eyes and didn't speak. Jiang Lan was getting a bit hungry, so she drank water to stave off the hunger, sip after sip.
It was rush hour, and the car moved slowly. Outside the window, the bustling traffic and neon lights formed a dazzling galaxy.
Suddenly, Yu Wanqiu opened her eyes. "I heard you blocked Lu Yicheng?"
Jiang Lan choked on her water. "Pfft... cough, cough, cough!"
Heard?
From whom?
What did this mean? Did Lu Yicheng actually complain to Yu Wanqiu? Wasn't it agreed that they would break up after the show ended? What was the point of keeping his contact information then?
This male lead really had no sense of honor. How could he go tattling?
And to Yu Wanqiu of all people...
It seemed his brain wasn't working well either. Yu Wanqiu would be thrilled if they broke up.
After saying this, Yu Wanqiu closed her eyes again.
Jiang Lan caught her breath. "Yeah, I told him not to contact me until the show was over. I was afraid I'd secretly ask him about your preferences—that would be cheating, wouldn't it?"
Yu Wanqiu didn't respond. Jiang Lan took a few more sips of water. After a twenty-minute drive, they finally stopped at the entrance of a small alley.
The night was pitch black. Yu Wanqiu got out of the car first, and Jiang Lan hurried to follow.
They went straight to a private room. Yu Wanqiu ordered two stir-fried vegetable dishes. Jiang Lan looked at the menu. The prices were a bit steep but still within her budget. "I'll have the tomato beef stew, braised chicken wings, and Yangzhou fried rice."
Yu Wanqiu was a regular here, so the owner sent over a fruit platter with watermelon and oranges. The fruit was exceptionally sweet. Jiang Lan ate two pieces. "This is really good!"
Since she had to watch her sugar intake, Yu Wanqiu didn't eat much fruit, only a piece of watermelon. It was indeed as good as Jiang Lan said.
When the food arrived, Jiang Lan dug in with gusto, while Yu Wanqiu restrained herself from reaching for the meat dishes.
After the meal, Jiang Lan happily went to pay the bill. It came to 400 yuan, leaving her with 800.
She asked the server to pack up the leftover fried rice and chicken wings for her to eat the next morning.
On the way back, Yu Wanqiu kept her eyes closed, resting. Jiang Lan, full and drowsy, dozed off several times during the ride.
By the time they reached the villa, it was already 10:30 PM.
While waiting for the elevator, Jiang Lan sighed. "Thinking about how late it is, I won't finish washing up until after 11. And I have to wake up early tomorrow. It's so depressing."
Yu Wanqiu pretended not to hear.
Jiang Lan sighed again. "I won't even get eight hours of sleep. Can I still grow taller?"
Yu Wanqiu was slightly taller than Jiang Lan, and with her high heels, she had to look down to meet Jiang Lan's gaze.
Jiang Lan also looked down, staring at her toes. From this angle, she did seem a bit short. Yu Wanqiu brushed her hair back. "Let's make it 8:00."
Jiang Lan changed her alarm to 8:00. She knew Yu Wanqiu was only managing her schedule because she disapproved of her habits, not for any other reason. This arrangement was fine, but Jiang Lan doubted she could keep it up for long.
The next morning, Jiang Lan struggled out of bed amidst the violent shaking of her alarm.
She moved like a zombie, eyes half-closed as she washed up. Then she opened the door and greeted Yu Wanqiu. "Good morning, Teacher Yu."
Yu Wanqiu was sitting on the sofa, reading a book and sipping floral tea. She nodded slightly in response. She wasn't wearing makeup, but she didn't look old. Her skin was fair, though her lips were a bit pale. She was quite beautiful.
Jiang Lan made her way to the fridge, took out the leftover fried rice and chicken wings from last night, and reheated them.
She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Teacher Yu, have you eaten?"
Yu Wanqiu replied, "Yes."
Jiang Lan had no idea when Yu Wanqiu had gotten up. She ate her meal at the dining table, washed the dishes and pots, and then pondered what to have for lunch.
Not being in school meant she had to constantly reflect on her life.
Since her cooking skills were mediocre, Jiang Lan decided to order takeout. When the food arrived, she secretly brought it to her room so Yu Wanqiu wouldn't disapprove.
Yu Wanqiu seemed to have no work that day. She sat on the sofa, drinking tea and reading. Jiang Lan didn't want to disturb her, so after washing the dishes, she returned to her room. Around 10:00, when she came out, she saw Yu Wanqiu talking to someone.
Shen Xingyao and Du Wanzhou had somehow made their way upstairs. Du Wanzhou was slightly plump, with dark brown hair. She wore glasses and looked kind, dressed stylishly in a black dress and high heels. On her wrists were jade bracelets, and on her right hand, she wore a large diamond ring and an emerald ring on her middle and ring fingers, respectively.
Shen Xingyao looked just like her online photos—sweet and lively, with wavy long hair and big eyes. "You must be Jiang Lan. I'm Shen Xingyao. You can call me Sister Xingyao."
Du Wanzhou exclaimed when she saw Jiang Lan, "I didn't see you yesterday. Your daughter-in-law is so pretty!"
Jiang Lan's mouth twitched. "Hello, Sister Xingyao, Auntie Du."
Yu Wanqiu said coolly, "She's not my daughter-in-law yet. It's too early to say that."
Shen Xingyao's expression stiffened. She had thought that bringing Jiang Lan on the show meant Yu Wanqiu approved of her. But it seemed...
Well, it was a show, and ratings were what mattered. "Jiang Lan, come sit with us. You're on summer break, right? Is school stressful? I envy you. Working makes you realize how carefree school life was."
Jiang Lan forced a smile. "Yeah, it's summer break."
Shen Xingyao leaned in with a gossipy tone. "I heard you and Lu Yicheng are from the same school. He's on break too, right? You're filming for two months. Will he make an appearance? I'm so curious about you two. I want to see how a wealthy young master like him falls in love."
Only Yu Wanqiu and the production team knew that Jiang Lan had already blocked Lu Yicheng.
Jiang Lan wasn't sure how to respond, but luckily Shen Xingyao didn't press further. Shen Xingyao's voice was sweet as she blinked playfully. "This time, you're dating right under Teacher Yu's watchful eye."
Yu Wanqiu's expression was hard to read. She gave Shen Xingyao a cryptic look. Shen Xingyao added, "You better behave. I'm looking forward to your wedding!"
Du Wanzhou chimed in, "Look at you, always so talkative. Wanqiu, don't listen to her nonsense. She's just being childish. But speaking of which, time flies. You're about to become a mother-in-law, though you don't look it at all. Sitting next to Jiang Lan, you look like sisters."
Yu Wanqiu replied, "One can't defy aging."
"Exactly," Du Wanzhou said. "I've come to terms with it. Chen Hao is married now, and Nannan is very filial. I'm just waiting to hold my grandchild. Having Nannan as my daughter-in-law is a blessing."
Shen Xingyao smiled sweetly.
Du Wanzhou lowered her voice, "They're trying for a baby. I plan to give Nannan a gift when she gives birth to the Chen Family's first child."
Shen Xingyao lowered her head, blushing. "Oh, Mom, why are you talking about this?"
Yu Wanqiu asked, "A gift?"
Jiang Lan perked up her ears. As expected of wealthy mother-in-law and daughter-in-law dynamics—there’s even a gift for having a baby.
Du Wanzhou nodded. "Yes, if the first child is a boy, I plan to reward her with 100 million yuan. For every subsequent child, she’ll get another 100 million. She can have as many as she wants."
She looked at Shen Xingyao with encouragement in her eyes.
Is this some kind of royal inheritance? A reward of 100 million for each child?
Jiang Lan thought about it for a moment. The Chen Family is wealthy, and well… they do have a fortune to inherit!
Du Wanzhou turned to Yu Wanqiu. "Wanqiu, if they get married, how many children do you want them to have? I love kids, and the more, the merrier."
Yu Wanqiu waved her hand dismissively. "They can have as many as they want, or none at all. I won’t interfere."
Yu Wanqiu only has one son, Lu Yicheng. If her daughter-in-law doesn’t have children, would that be acceptable?
Du Wanzhou looked skeptical. The Lu Family is so wealthy—how could they not want an heir? That’s ridiculous.
"Wanqiu, young people’s thoughts are immature. You can’t let them have their way. Nannan initially said she wanted to delay having children to focus on her career, but I talked her out of it. She doesn’t need to earn much money anyway; she can just enjoy herself. Look at Zhang Lin—she’s pregnant again. I heard she initially didn’t want it, but could her family really let her have her way?"
Jiang Lan watched as Du Wanzhou kept talking, her mouth opening and closing nonstop, while Yu Wanqiu listened attentively. Jiang Lan could only sip her water.
The wealthy mother-in-law and daughter-in-law dynamics are so intense when it comes to having children. Thank goodness she secured 20 million yuan early and can leave after getting it.
Du Wanzhou finally got thirsty from talking and reached for her water cup, only to find it empty. Shen Xingyao quietly refilled it.
Du Wanzhou praised Shen Xingyao a few more times. "Nannan is such a sweet child. By the way, what are you two doing this afternoon? Do you want to go shopping together? Jiang Lan here…"
Du Wanzhou hinted to Yu Wanqiu that they should buy something for Jiang Lan, who was dressed in plain clothes.
Jiang Lan set her teacup down. "I have to practice the piano this afternoon, so I won’t be joining."
Yu Wanqiu added, "I won’t be going either. I need to read a script."
Du Wanzhou suggested, "Then what about lunch? Why don’t we go out to eat? I know a great Western restaurant!"
Yu Wanqiu declined. "No, I’m on a diet these days. I’ll just eat at home with Jiang Lan."
Du Wanzhou then took Shen Xingyao out to lunch. After they left, Jiang Lan rubbed her neck and stood up. She hadn’t ordered takeout yet and wasn’t sure what to eat for lunch.
But as soon as she stood up, Yu Wanqiu asked, "Where are you going?"
Jiang Lan replied, "...To eat."
Yu Wanqiu frowned. "Didn’t I tell you that takeout is too salty and oily? It’s not healthy."
"Teacher Yu, I can’t cook," Jiang Lan explained. At school, there’s the cafeteria, and now takeout is so convenient. Her cooking skills are limited to boiling noodles or making a salad, but she doesn’t really like those.
It was 11 a.m., the perfect time to order takeout.
Yu Wanqiu crossed her arms. "From now on, we’ll eat together, but you’ll have to help. You can choose one dish, and you’ll do the dishes afterward."
Jiang Lan nodded. "Okay."
Every move of the guests in the villa was observed by Zhang Tian. He had seen firsthand how Yu Wanqiu stood up for Jiang Lan and then asked her why she had blocked Lu Yicheng’s number.
Although Zhang Tian sometimes still looked down on Jiang Lan, he understood one thing:
Whether Yu Wanqiu liked Jiang Lan or not was her own business, but no one else was allowed to bully her.
Yu Wanqiu asked Jiang Lan to pick a dish. Jiang Lan chose black pepper beef, since there was beef in the fridge. They could only use ingredients they already had. "Teacher Yu, are you good at cooking? What should I do to help?"
Yu Wanqiu replied, "I’ve never cooked before, so I don’t know how it’ll taste. You can help wash and chop the vegetables. If I ask you to stir-fry, then you’ll do that."
Jiang Lan couldn’t help but wonder. Yu Wanqiu didn’t seem like someone who knew how to cook. The only thing she’d ever seen her make was a vegetable salad. The two of them cooking together… wouldn’t they end up burning the kitchen down?
