Chapter 17: Ten Years of Secret Admiration

As soon as Su Nian finished speaking, the kitchen knife she had used to push the noodles into the pot flashed through the air and landed on the chopping board with a sharp sound. The "thud" that followed seemed to echo the sound of Li Ming'en’s heart splitting in terror. Whatever he had wanted to say was swallowed back down.

When breakfast was finally served—shrimp dumplings, siu mai, steamed eggs with crab, noodles with fried bean sauce, stir-fried shredded potatoes, and an array of other mouthwatering dishes—the guests could no longer restrain themselves and eagerly reached for their chopsticks.

"This shrimp dumpling has a thin, delicate skin and is bursting with flavor. It's the best I've ever tasted—no wonder Mr. Song is said to be good at everything," Yi Linglin exclaimed, praising Song Wang enthusiastically as she ate. Her wide, adoring eyes betrayed not the slightest attempt to hide her affection for him. It wasn’t that Yi Linglin didn’t know how to be reserved; rather, ever since she had openly declared her feelings, she was determined to maintain her persona as someone brave in love.

“Senior, try this siu mai. I remember it’s your favorite,” Cen Zifan said as he deliberately chose the seat next to Xia Xingkong, his heart pounding as he tried to showcase his mature and caring gentlemanly side.

Xia Xingkong looked at him, suddenly leaned closer, and placed her palm on the armrest of his chair. The abrupt proximity made Cen Zifan feel dizzy, his face flushing red, and even his breathing grew rapid.

“Trying to chase after me?” Xia Xingkong’s blunt question left Cen Zifan utterly flustered. It was as if he’d been bewitched; after his heart pounded wildly, he immediately nodded his head like a pecking chick.

“S-Senior, don’t feel pressured. I know you don’t like younger guys, but I’ll do my best to earn your approval. Please, Senior…” The more he spoke, the more nervous he became, and in his anxiety, he bowed his head—only to bump it directly against Xia Xingkong’s forehead.

The resulting thump made Xia Xingkong wince in pain. Cen Zifan panicked even more, his puppy-dog eyes full of helplessness as he kept apologizing, “Sorry, Senior, I’m so clumsy, I’m so sorry…”

[Ah, Zifan’s a king on stage, but in front of his crush, he’s hopeless.]
[As his mom-fans, we can hardly watch.]
[The aloof queen and her naïve puppy—this couple is unexpectedly cute.]
[I declare that the Starry Couple is official! Zifan, keep it up. If you want to win over your big sister, you’ve got a lot of work ahead of you.]

Unlike the previous debates about Su Nian and Song Wang as a couple, Xia Xingkong and Cen Zifan clearly garnered much more support.

Meanwhile, as the ones who had provided breakfast, Su Nian and Song Wang only sat down to eat after the guests had already started devouring the dishes.

“Excuse me, could you let me have this seat?” Song Wang flashed a toothy smile at Cui Mengya, who was in the midst of eating noodles.

He naturally signaled for her to give up the seat closest to Su Nian. Blushing, Cui Mengya quickly slurped up her noodle and yielded the spot. It was only after Song Wang sat down that she realized she had lost her seat.

“What would you like to eat? I’ll help you get it,” Song Wang asked Su Nian with a smile, propping his chin in his hand.

“No need, thank you. I can manage on my own.”

[Ha! Ex-girlfriend really is straightforward.]
[I told you, ex-girlfriend is a bit clueless—she’s just not interested in him.]
[If it were me, I’d be shoving bowls and chopsticks into his hands and wishing he’d feed me.]
[I’d love to see how Song Wang would react to that.]

As for Song Wang’s reaction, he was, of course, unfazed. After all, in real life, this was always how Su Nian treated him—respectful but distant. He had secretly loved her for ten years, ever since military academy, inserting himself into her life at every turn, but she never seemed to notice, seeing him only as a competitor. This woman, with eyes only for her career, never interpreted his deliberate provocations as anything else. He felt genuinely bitter and helpless, but what could he do? When you love someone, you do everything you can to win her for yourself.

Snapping out of his memories, Song Wang nodded and, in front of Su Nian, pulled all the dishes that were out of her reach closer to her. If you won’t let me serve you food, then I’ll just bring the food closer to you.

Su Nian, noticing the sudden nearness of the dishes, paused with her chopsticks and looked at Song Wang in confusion.

He smiled at her, his charm on full display. “They were too far away for you to reach.”

“Song Wang, don’t you think that’s a bit much? None of us have finished eating, and you’ve pulled everything over to Su Nian’s side. Isn’t that favoritism a bit too obvious?” one of the other guests challenged.

The rest observed in silence. Even though they all understood, no one spoke up. Instead, Xia Xingkong, sensing something was up between the two, became quite enthusiastic about exposing their hidden feelings.

To be honest, Su Nian’s taste finally seemed to have improved. Compared to Li Ming’en, Song Wang was much more pleasing to the eye.

Xia Xingkong played it straight, but Song Wang was hardly one to back down. “Isn’t it only fair that the ‘chef’ who worked hard to make breakfast gets a little special treatment?” he replied lightly.

Xia Xingkong gave him a thumbs up. “Alright, you win.”

Li Ming’en’s original intention was to see Song Wang and Su Nian embarrass themselves. He hadn’t expected the two of them to serve up a flawless culinary performance instead. Not a single guest had a bad word to say about their breakfast. Even Cui Mengya, who was always dieting and complaining about her weight, devoured two big bowls of noodles.

As someone who had hoped to win favor through his cooking, Li Ming’en found himself thoroughly upstaged. To make matters worse, while the other guests enjoyed the food made by Song Wang and Su Nian, he was left with only his own pot of “footbath water” soup. He would never admit how bad it was, but secretly, he took a spoonful to taste—and nearly threw up yesterday’s dinner.

Seeing his stubbornness, Song Wang, who had finished breakfast with impeccable grace, offered him a touch of humane consideration.

“Mr. Li, don’t force yourself. Why not try some of the breakfast I made?”

Song Wang’s invitation felt to Li Ming’en like an olive branch, and the resentment in his heart lessened. Since the other party had extended the hand of friendship, he decided to accept.

“Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Song. I won’t refuse,” he replied, and, his stomach empty, picked up a siu mai. The delicious aroma nearly brought him to tears.

But the next moment, Song Wang’s words made him freeze.

“Don’t mention it. These are just what everyone else couldn’t finish. If you’re willing to help clear them up, I should be the one thanking you.”

Song Wang’s tone was gracious and grateful, but to Li Ming’en, it was a new level of insult. He was being treated as a garbage disposal for the leftovers.

His face turned an ugly shade, but Song Wang, oblivious, simply patted him on the shoulder. “When you’re done, make sure to wash the dishes too.”

With that, he strolled away.