Wen Yi might not have the best grades, but she was always the most diligent person. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been the class monitor for three years.

During the second semester of senior year, when the class teacher was sick and on leave during the most critical time, Wen Yi took on the responsibility. She arrived at school the earliest, opened the door and turned on the lights for early study, kept an eye on discipline during class and study periods, and made sure everyone got some outdoor exercise to relax. She was the last to leave at night, checking the doors and windows.

He lived nearby and often stayed until the last evening self-study period. He would usually leave before her, but he slowed his pace and followed her behind. Looking back, it was quite creepy, like a stalker.

After a long while, he spoke, “Wen Yi, it’s time to take a shower and go to bed.”

“I know, I’ll be quick. You go ahead and sleep,” she replied, still engrossed in her studies.

For the first time, Qin Nanshan went to bed before her.

The next day was a weekend, the last one of Qin Nanshan’s winter break, and also a weekend when Wen Yi had to cram for her work.

When Qin Nanshan woke up, Wen Yi was already gone. He walked out and saw a familiar figure at the dining table.

Wen Yi turned her head when she heard the noise. “You’re awake?”

“I’m awake.” Qin Nanshan fiddled with the hot water kettle, poured himself a cup, and took two sips. “Are you studying again today?”

“Yeah, that training course only lasts for an hour every night, but I have to report to the HR department on Monday. I can’t go there without even knowing labor law, or they’ll laugh at me.”

Qin Nanshan nodded. “Have you eaten breakfast yet?”

Wen Yi grinned. “Not yet.”

Qin Nanshan, being responsible, started preparing breakfast, and Wen Yi continued her studies in peace.

HR work was more complicated than she expected. Last night, she spent time sorting out the functions and responsibilities of each module. The HR structure at Nuan was made up of three main areas: COE, BP, and SSC, all business-driven.

Wen Yi’s position was as a BP Manager, a Human Resources Business Partner, reporting both to the business line and the HR department. She was also overseeing four regional HRBPs.

She had no experience in HR but had extensive hands-on market experience. Li Wei didn’t just casually throw her into the administrative role.

It was still early, and later she would need to ask her colleagues for more materials. She worked closely with the functional departments, and her relationships with them were not bad.

Wen Yi closed her laptop and rested her chin on her hand as she watched Qin Nanshan busy in the kitchen.

At home, Qin Nanshan usually wore casual clothes—long sleeves and pants, mostly in black or gray, plain without any patterns. Wen Yi casually asked, “Qin Nanshan, do you buy your own clothes?”

“Yeah.”

“Tsk tsk, I knew it,” Wen Yi thought to herself. Next time, she would buy him a few pairs of flower-patterned boxer shorts and see what he looks like wearing them.

Her impulse turned into action, and Wen Yi spent two minutes ordering a set of men’s loungewear for him.

He was frying eggs, his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing his lean muscles. Wen Yi was puzzled; she hadn’t seen him work out, and yet his physique was so good despite sitting at a desk all day. How did he stay in such shape?

She asked, and Qin Nanshan didn’t even glance back. “Next time, wake up earlier and we can go out for a run together.”

Wen Yi raised an eyebrow. Wow, waking up at eight on weekdays was already her limit—any earlier was impossible. Plus, she had a valid reason, “I’m pregnant, I’m not running.”

As expected, Qin Nanshan didn’t say anything else. He took out the fried egg, and the water in the pot began to boil. He ladled out some hot water into a bowl with seasoning, then added the noodles, performing the entire action crisply and efficiently.

Wen Yi had eaten many meals he made, but this was the first time she watched him cook so clearly and seriously.

It was the smell of home cooking, but she still found it elegant and refined. It probably had something to do with how his aura didn’t quite match with the kitchen.

In Wen Yi’s mind, he should be sitting at a desk, standing in front of a lecture podium, or in the spotlight, dressed in a sharp suit with a graceful Windsor knot, occasionally pushing up his gold-rimmed glasses while holding a fountain pen—he looked like a refined, elegant man with a slightly dangerous side.

But now, here he was, wearing home clothes and making breakfast for her. Wasn’t this a waste?

As her heartbeat quickened, Wen Yi sent a message to Joan: [I’m done for. It’s not just Brainy anymore.]

Joan, just waking up, replied: [What else?]

[Body]

Joan: [Fallen for him?]

Wen Yi paused, then replied: [Not exactly, just maybe some pregnancy hormones kicking in, a bit impulsive.]

Joan, who had never been pregnant: [What kind of impulse?]

Wen Yi didn’t respond because Qin Nanshan had just placed the noodles in front of her.

He sat down across from her, and Wen Yi poked the yolk of her fried egg with her chopsticks, finding it runny. Looking at his bowl, she said unhappily, “I don’t like runny eggs.”

Qin Nanshan looked up, moved the egg from her bowl to his, removed the yolk, and gave her the egg whites. He did the same for his own bowl, and now Wen Yi had two perfectly fried egg whites.

He said, “I won’t fry runny eggs again.”

“Thanks.”

Wen Yi didn’t pick up her chopsticks right away. Her eyes wandered to the cabinet behind him, where there was no bottle of alcohol, and she asked, “Qin Nanshan, do you not drink?”

“Not often,” Qin Nanshan answered straightforwardly. “I’m not great at holding my liquor.”

Wen Yi smiled and pursed her lips. “So, when Old Wu made you drink two glasses, you got drunk?”

She was referring to that night, and Qin Nanshan’s hand paused for a moment, then he replied.

“Then don’t drink when you’re out. What if you end up with someone else’s baby? Divorce is such a hassle.”

Qin Nanshan immediately found it both amusing and infuriating, shooting her a look. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Wen Yi hadn’t planned to say that, but she leaned in a little closer and asked, “Do you know why wine smells better as it ages?”

“Fermentation?”

Qin Nanshan didn’t understand why she was bringing up alcohol during breakfast, but he set his chopsticks down and focused on listening to her.

“Correct. Because during storage, the alcohol’s esters react with organic acids, creating various flavors and aromas. That’s the fragrance of wine.”

Wen Yi had done her share of research on random topics. As a woman who often needed to socialize in the city, she considered herself somewhat of a wine expert. She could talk about red wine, white wine, and yellow wine, and leave people at the table stunned.

She continued, “That’s why they say ‘three parts brewing, seven parts aging.’ Some types of wine, like white and red, need time to settle and ferment. When our baby is born, we should buy a few bottles of Moutai. We can open them when she turns eighteen. That’s called ‘daughter’s red,’ and it’ll appreciate in value!”

Qin Nanshan smiled, lowering his gaze. “Okay, we’ll buy it.”

But Wen Yi didn’t really care about the daughter’s red. She preferred authentic, full-bodied red or white wine. The flavor, when sipped carefully, told the story of the wine’s history. The older the wine, the more complex the taste.