In the kitchen, Xu Hao, as he was tidying up, vaguely heard a familiar "Hello".

Huh?

This voice...

Why does it sound so much like her?

His eyelashes lightly fluttered as he lifted his head for a glance.

The girl stood at the store entrance, slightly backlit, appearing a bit apprehensive and nervous.

She wore a light apricot strap dress with a sheer top, the dress's length just reaching her knees, revealing her straight and fair calves.

The breeze gently brushed by, causing the hem of her skirt to sway, forming an enchanting curve.

Her long, black hair was braided into a side ponytail that hung softly at one side, making her look gentle and beautiful.

No mistake!

It's her!

Shen Qiumo!

At the moment he recognized her, a gentle spot in his heart seemed to have been lightly touched.

A joyful and radiant smile spread across his face.

Originally worried that she might not pay attention to him anymore, seeing her in the shop now, how could he not be surprised?

He quickly shouted to Ding Suqin, who was washing kitchenware nearby, "Suqin, I have a friend here to see me, I'll go over for a while, leave this work for me, I'll finish it when I'm back..."

"There's just a little left, no need to worry, I can finish it on my own, go on, go on..."

Ding Suqin turned her head and saw Xu Hao's unabashedly joyful expression, curiously following his gaze to the shop's entrance.

At a glance, she noticed the girl standing at the entrance.

She thought to herself: This young girl is quite pretty! Haozi has good taste!

Although Haozi only referred to the girl as a friend,

Being someone who has been through similar experiences, Ding Suqin could tell at once that the two kids were probably at the early stage of a relationship.

She smiled while looking at the well-matched pair, pretending not to notice, and continued washing the kitchenware.

"Thanks, Suqin. I'll work more in the evening..." Xu Hao finished washing his hands and wiped them.

"You child... saying things like that makes you an outsider..." Ding Suqin smiled as she waved her hand gently: "Hurry on now, don't keep your friend waiting."

"Alrighty! Suqin, I'll head over first then."

Just as he stepped out of the kitchen, he saw his boss signaling him: "Haozi, someone is here for you..."

"Got it, Boss."

Xu Hao promptly walked to the shop entrance, scratched his head, and beamed, "Qiumo, what brings you here?"

"There's no class this afternoon; I just finished some student union work and since I've got nothing in particular afterward, I thought I'd drop by to get some food and check out your working environment, as well as see you..."

Shen Qiumo brushed her hair from her ear, pretending to be calm.

Alright!

She admitted it, she wanted to see him!

Of course, she also wanted to try Boss Huang's crab stir-fry cake!

Yes~

Fine food and him are not to be missed!

However unfortunately, she was a step too late, the lunchtime service had already ended!

So then...she might as well have a good look at him!

The words "see you" felt especially pleasant to Xu Hao's ears; ripples of joy surged in his heart, yet he maintained a facade of composure.

"Come in and have a seat, I'll whip up something for you..."

"No need, it's inconvenient for you. I'll just head back to the dorm and have some biscuits. The service has ended and I don't want to cause any trouble for you."

"No, that's bad for your stomach..." Xu Hao insisted anxiously.

Hearing their conversation from inside, Huang Tao understood.

This girl named Qiumo must be the "someone" Xu Hao often talked about?!

He shouted from inside to the duo at the door, "Come on in, there're still some ingredients in the kitchen, let Xu Hao fix you something..."

Huang Tao's words adeptly diffused the awkwardness, and Xu Hao secretly flashed Huang Tao a grateful glance where Shen Qiumo couldn't see it.

Motivation and vigor welled up in his heart, pledging to work diligently for Huang Tao in the future.

"See, my boss has spoken..."

"Well then... thank you, Boss Huang..."

The two of them entered the shop.

"Boss, this is my friend, Shen Qiumo, a student at Lijiang University." Xu Hao led Shen Qiumo to Huang Tao's side to introduce them, "Qiumo, this is my boss, known as Boss Huang..."

"Hello, Boss Huang, I've heard so much about you." Shen Qiumo extended her hand gracefully.

Huang Tao replied humbly, "Oh, Qiumo right! You're being too courteous; I'm just an ordinary person, no reputation to speak of…"

"I often hear Haozi speak highly of you; he speaks very well of you and today, meeting you confirms what he says." Shen Qiumo smiled gently.

Xu Hao nodded solemnly.

"Alright, I'll take your praise, now go and entertain your friend well!" Huang Tao patted Xu Hao on the shoulder and went to fetch a cup of water.

"Qiumo, take a seat, I'll make something for you to eat." Xu Hao pointed at a chair, signaling Shen Qiumo to sit down.

"Need any help from me?"

"No need, just wait for the food!"

Xu Hao gave her a bright smile, then happily dashed into the kitchen.

Seeing that Ding Suqin was still busy, he chimed in with a smile, "Suqin, I'll need the kitchen for a bit, you take a break! I'll tidy up later..."

"Well... alright, I'll leave it to you then."

With understanding, Ding Suqin washed her hands and stepped out, leaving the kitchen to Xu Hao.

She chatted a little with Shen Qiumo.

Xu Hao assessed the remaining ingredients, finding there wasn't much left.

Only some soaked glutinous rice, a bit of pork, a few mushrooms, and a handful of scallions.

To fill Shen Qiumo's stomach, he decided to make stir-fried glutinous rice.

He swiftly and expertly prepared the ingredients.

After cleaning them thoroughly,

He picked up a carving knife and began carefully carving each ingredient...

As Huang Tao was about to enter the kitchen for some goji berries, he paused at the door, witnessing Xu Hao intently carving the ingredients.

Huh?

What's he making that requires carving?

Xu Hao's actions piqued Huang Tao's curiosity.

Following Xu Hao's gestures, Huang Tao mimicked them.

In a moment, he seemed to have discovered something new, his eyes suddenly brightened.

Oh~

So that's it~

He glanced over at the poised Shen Qiumo chatting with Ding Suqin, then at the deeply focused, joyfully smiling Xu Hao.

Huang Tao thought for a second.

Quietly, he took out his phone, recording the scene silently.

Unaware, Xu Hao remained engrossed in his carving.

Upon finishing the carving

He resumed the normal cooking procedures.

Chopping the pork and other items as needed...

After filming for a while, Huang Tao put away his phone.

Breaking it without exposing it!

Nonchalantly, he went into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and fetched a small can of goji berries, placing a handful into a thermal cup.

Hearing the noise, Xu Hao glanced over, seeing it was his boss, immediately offering, "Boss, need anything? Let me help you."

"No need, I already got it, you just keep busy…"

Huang Tao smiled subtly, closing the fridge door, and headed to a small resting area.

He didn't want to be a glaringly bright light bulb, preventing himself from getting 'eye pain' from its brightness.

He wasn't alone in this thought; Ding Suqin agreed.

Estimating that Xu Hao was nearly done, she made an excuse to step outside with Shen Qiumo for a stroll.

Xu Hao brought out a plate of stir-fried glutinous rice with pork slices, placing it lightly on the table in front of Shen Qiumo with a smile.

He eagerly said, "Give it a try."

Tasting it.

The flavor was fragrant, the sentiment was sweet.

"Delicious!" Shen Qiumo praised sincerely with a smile on her lips.

"As long as you like it, enjoy!" Xu Hao grinned, his eyes seemingly sparkling like stars.

Watching the smile on her lips and hearing her pleasant voice, everything, all of it, made him completely satisfied.

To love someone!

It's not about greedily possessing her.

It's about being willing to protect her.

He's willing to just quietly watch over her, even if it's one-sided...

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