“The envelope should have money in it, right? Let me guess, Boss  Zhao, you must be here to ask me how to make the Twice-cooked Pork, isn’t that right?”

Seeing the envelope, Qiao Lu instantly knew Zhao Yonghe’s intentions.

“Miss Qiao, you truly are sharp. Since you work at ’A Spoonful Moment’, learning the recipe must be a piece of cake for you. Just give me a hint, and this ten thousand yuan is yours.”

Zhao Yonghe smiled confidently. He firmly believed that nobody could resist the temptation of money. After all, this was just a small favor—only a fool would refuse.

“Boss Zhao, what you’re asking is putting me in a position of disloyalty and betrayal!”

Qiao Lu took out a pair of sunglasses and put them on.

Zhao Yonghe chuckled and said, “Miss Qiao, you’re being too dramatic. Even if you don’t tell me now, we’ll figure it out sooner or later. You’re just speeding up the process a little.”

Qiao Lu chuckled lightly, “I don’t want to live the rest of my days in constant unease. Boss Zhao, I suggest you refrain from doing this kind of thing in the future. It’s not good for building a harmonious society.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

Being scolded by a little girl made Zhao Yonghe’s face darken, and he snorted coldly before heading back to his restaurant.

At home, Qin Feng was telling a bedtime story to coax Nannan to sleep.

“Daddy, our teacher said there’s going to be a spring outing soon. Parents are supposed to come too, and we have to bring our own food.”

Nannan snuggled into Qin Feng’s arms, her little voice soft and sweet as she brought up the event.

“I know. Teacher Xu already told me. Daddy and Mommy will both go with you.”

Qin Feng had received a call from Xu Ru earlier, who mentioned the spring outing plans.

“Yay, that’s awesome!”

Hearing both her parents would join, Nannan was thrilled.

Seeing his daughter so happy, Qin Feng knew it was time to have a talk with Xu Fei.

The next morning, after dropping Nannan off at kindergarten, Qin Feng went to Xu Fei’s rented apartment in the city center.

When he arrived, he rang the doorbell for a while but got no response. Thinking she might not be home, he was about to call her when Xu Fei suddenly opened the door. She looked weak as she peered out.

Seeing her like this, Qin Feng quickly asked, “What’s wrong with you? You don’t look so good.”

“I had to shoot a rain scene yesterday and caught a cold. It’s nothing, I already took some medicine.”

Xu Fei’s voice was feeble as she explained.

“You don’t look ‘nothing.’ Get inside and rest.”

Qin Feng helped her back to the bedroom, then headed to the kitchen to make her some ginger tea to ward off the cold.

When he opened the fridge, he found it nearly empty, save for a few bottles of milk. Left with no choice, he went to the supermarket to buy ginger, century eggs, pork, and rice, planning to make her some century egg and lean pork congee as well. Meanwhile, he texted Qiao Lu, letting her know the restaurant would be closed for the day and she should practice her knife skills.

Soon, Qin Feng finished making the ginger tea, poured a bowl, and brought it to Xu Fei. Helping her sit up, he said, “Here, drink this ginger tea. Honestly, if you were feeling this bad, why didn’t you tell me? Were you planning to tough it out on your own?”

“It’s not like we’ve been living together anymore, so why would I bother telling you?”

Xu Fei’s tone carried a hint of irritation. Back when Qin Feng hit a rough patch in his career, his whole demeanor changed, which was why she moved out.

“Let’s not get into that. Just drink the tea.”

Qin Feng didn’t want to argue. He silently vowed not to let her feel hurt or disappointed again.

After drinking the ginger tea, Xu Fei soon felt drowsy and drifted off to sleep.

Qin Feng glanced around the messy apartment and started cleaning up.

It took him an hour to tidy the place, and by the time he was done, he was sweaty. He decided to take a quick shower.

Ding dong.

Fresh out of the shower, wrapped in a towel, Qin Feng heard the doorbell ring. He opened the door to find Wang Qiang standing there with a bouquet of roses.

“Well, well, Wang, what brings you here?” Qin Feng asked with a grin.

“What are you doing here?”

Wang Qiang froze in surprise, his expression darkening slightly.

“I’m at my wife’s place. Totally normal, isn’t it? The real question is, what are you doing here? Don’t tell me you’re up to no good.”

Though Qin Feng’s face carried a smile, there was a glint of menace in his eyes—a true smile hiding a knife.

“I just came to talk to her about something. Is that a problem?”

Wang Qiang replied with some annoyance. He was baffled. Xu Fei had told him she was living separately from Qin Feng, so why were they still together?

Leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, Qin Feng said, “Talking is fine. But she’s not available right now. Come back another day. And if it’s really just business, maybe don’t bring flowers next time. It’s easy to cause misunderstandings.”

“Not available? Why not?” Wang Qiang asked, confused.

“You don’t get it? Morning is the best time to strengthen the bond between husband and wife. You’re really something, showing up to interrupt us.”

Qin Feng shook his head, looking at Wang Qiang as if he were clueless.

Realizing what Qin Feng meant, Wang Qiang huffed angrily and turned to leave.

Watching him go, Qin Feng smirked with satisfaction. Trying to woo my wife? Not a chance.

Xu Fei woke up in the afternoon, feeling much better. The dizziness had mostly subsided.

“You are awake? You must be hungry. Here, have some congee.”

Qin Feng walked in with a bowl of century egg and lean pork congee.

“What kind of congee is this? It smells amazing.”

Looking at the congee with curiosity, Xu Fei saw chunks of century egg and pork floating in the bowl.

“This is century egg and lean pork congee. It’s great for your skin and perfect for recovery after a cold. Give it a try.”

Qin Feng scooped up a spoonful and brought it to her mouth.

Stunned by his unexpected gentleness, Xu Fei hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth. As soon as she tasted it, she was hooked. Taking the bowl from him, she began eating on her own.

In just a few minutes, she finished the whole bowl. Feeling rejuvenated, she asked, “You never used to cook. How did you get so good at it?”

“People change. I’ve been learning recently. Oh, by the way, Nannan’s kindergarten is organizing a spring outing this week. Parents are supposed to join. Can you arrange your schedule?”

Qin Feng casually made up an excuse.

“I’ll figure it out.”

Though Xu Fei had been busy lately, her daughter always came first.

Seeing she was doing better, Qin Feng took his leave.

Watching him go, Xu Fei suddenly felt a pang of emptiness. Getting up, she noticed the tidiness of the apartment and realized how much Qin Feng still cared for her.

As Qin Feng returned home, his thoughts were all over the place. But one thing became clear to him—Xu Fei still had feelings for him. If he worked hard enough, there was still hope to win her back.